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R  A605  N48  Report  on  public  bat 

RECAP 


Report  on 

Public  Baths 

and 

Public  Comfort 

Stations 


JANUARY,  fW7 

HiBOSHED   BY    THE   SLWOR'S    OOSf- 

MrrrES  on  pubuc  batiis  am>  nja- 

L!C  COMFC^T  STATIONS »  NHV  YOKsC 
CITY. 


Columbia  (HnttJem'tj) 

College  of  ^f)p9iitiansi  anb  ^urseonsi 
llibrarp 


CITY  OF   NEW   YORK 

THE  MAYOR'S  COMMITTEE 

PUBLIC  BATHS  and  PUBLIC  COMFORT  STATIONS 

AppotNTED    Bv    Mayor    William    L.    Strong.    Julv    Stm.    1895. 

WM.  GASTON  HAMILTON,  C.E  ,  Chairman 

MOREAU  MORRIS,  M.D.,  Vice-Chairman 

WM.  HOWE  TOLMAN,  Ph.D.,  Secretary 

105  East  22d  St.,  New  York  City 


COMPLIMENTS  OP 


/(  ^'CT^^i:^'€^vi.^-^t/V1^ 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2010  with  funding  from 

Open  Knowledge  Commons 


http://www.archive.org/details/reportonpublicbaOOnewy 


1    -w 

I 


p^^; 


REPORT 


ON 


Public  Baths 


AND 


Public  Comfort  Stations 


BY 


THE    MAYOR'S    COMMITTEE 


OF   NEW    YORK    CITY. 


New  York    City. 
1897. 


'1^^4:14^ 


Copyright,  1897, 

by 

The  Mayor's  Committee  : 

William  Gaston  Hamilton,  C.E. 
MoREAu  Morris,  M.D., 
William  Howe  Tolman,   Ph.D. 


o 
o 


Table  of   Contents. 


Chapter.  Page. 

I    Introductory  11 

II    The  Mayor's  Committee  on  Public  Baths  and  Public  Comfort 

Stations 21 

III  Bath  Legislation  Regarding  New  York  City  Since  1800 26 

IV  Public  Baths  of  New  York 35 

V    Swimming  Clubs  and  the  Swimming  Bath  as  a  Meaijs  of 

Recreation 43 

VI    The  Spray  Bath  and  Spray  Baths  in  the  Public  Schools 54 

VII    Municipal  Baths  in  America 61 

VIII    Municipal  System  of  Foreign  Baths 68 

IX    The  Administration  of  European  Baths 120 

X    Public  Laundries 134 

XI    Public  Comfort  Stations 142 

XII    Recommendations  of  the  Mayor's  Committee:— 
Plans  and  Studies  for 

(a)  Bath  on  a  Site  100x50  feet 163 

(b)  Proposed  Ba;th  for  Tompkins  Squaxe,  Including  a  Muni- 

cipal Laundry  and  Two  Public  Comfort  Stations 168 

(c)  Underground  Public  Comfort  Stations: 

City  Hall  Park 176 

Greeley  Square  Park,  Thirty-third  Street  and  Broad- 
way   ITG 

Suggestions  for 

(a)  Chalets  for  the  Parks 177 

(b)  Stations  Under  the  Elevated  Railway  Stairs 177 

(c)  Structures  Within  the  Area  Line  and  the  Dead  Wall 

of  Buildings 177 

XIII    Bibliography •. 181 


List   of  Illustrations. 


Facing 
Page 

Proposed  Bath  for  Tompkins  Square,  New  York  City,  1 

Swimming  Pool  in  the  Baths  of  Diocletian  12 

Hall  in  the  Baths  of  Caracalla 12 

Front  of  Proposed  Baths  on  a  Site  100x50 28 

Bath-room  on  the  Floating  Hospital  of  the  St.  John's  Guild 36 

The    "Ring,"  one   form   of  the   Spray   or   Shower   Bathi    at  the 

People's  Baths   36 

The  People's  Baths,  9  Centre  Market  Place 36 

First-Class  Swimming  Pool,  Hornsey  Road,  Islington,  London  ....  44 

Swimming  Pool  for  Women,  Hornsey  Road,  Islington,  London  ....  44 

Amateur  Swimming  Club,  London  53 

Newport,  England,  Swimming  Pool  as  a  Gymnasium  53 

Swimming  Pool,  Brookline  Public  Baths - 61 

First  Floor  Plan,  Brookline  Public  Baths 61 

Brookline  Public  Bath - 68 

Yonkers  Public  Bath 84 

Deptford,    England,    Public    Baths,    Washhouses    and    Municipal 

Buildings    92 

Shoreditch,  England,  Public  Bathhouse  and  Public  Library 92 

Opening  Exercises  of  the  Public  Baths  at  Essex  Road,  Islington, 

London 100 

Ground  Plan  of  Birmingham's  Latest  Public  Bath 100 

Laundry  Hung  up  to  Dry  in  One-Room  Apartment 132 

Household  Effects  of  a  Family  Living  in  One  Room 132 

Mangling  Room,  Hornsey  Road  Laundry,  London 140 

Drying  Room,  Hornsey  Road  Laundry,  London 140 

Proposed  Public  Comfort  Station  for  Greeley  Square 148 

Underground  Lavatory  (interior).  Charing  Cross,  London 156 

Suggested  Public  Comfort  Stations  under  the  Elevated  Stairways . .  164 

Suggested  Public  Comfort  Station,  within  area  line 164 

Cottage  Baths,  Brighton,  England    172 

Proposed  Public  Comfort  Station  for  Parks 172 

Plan  of  Basement  Floor  of  Proposed  Baths,  on  a  site  100x50 180 

Plan  of  Ground  Floor  of  Proposed  Baths,  on  a  site  100x50 180 

Plan  of  Upper  Floor  of  Proposed  Baths,  on  a  site  100x50 180 

Longitudinal  Section  of  Proposed  Baths,  on  a  site  100x50 180 

Cross  Section  of  Proposed  Baths,  on  a  site  100x50 180 

Newington,  England,  Public  Baths  and  Washhouses 197 


PREFACE. 


'I'he  Mayor's  Committee,  whose  final  re- 
port is  herewith  presented,  was  appointed  by  his  Honor,  the  Mayor 
of  New  York  City,  William  L.  Strong,  in  July,  1895,  as  an  Advisory  Advisory 
Committee,  to  eontiniu'  Ihc  study  of  the  subject  of  Public  Baths  and  Status. 
Public  Comfort  Stations,  upon  which  it  had  already  reported  to 
the  Committee  of  Seventy  as  its  sub-conuuittee  on  this  special  sub- 
ject. This  preliminary  report  had  been  accepted  and  approved  by 
that  Committee,  and  was  published  by  it  in  pamphlet  form.  In 
pursuance  of  this  study,  as  requested  by  the  Mayor,  the  Com- 
mittee became  so  deeply  impressed  with  the  imperative  neces- 
sity of  an  adequate  municipal  provision  of  Baths  and  Public  Com- 
fort Stations  for  New  York  City,  that  it  collected  the  latest  and 
best  information  in  relation  to  these  matters,  so  that  New  Y^ork 
might  have  the  latest  system  of  Public  Baths  and  Public  Comfort 
Stations. 

New  York  claims  the  honor  to  have  had 
the  first  Public  Bath  in  the  United  States  using  the  spray  or  rain 
water  system,  for  hot  and  cold  water,  opeii  Ihe year  round.  This 
public  bath  was  made  possible  by  the  New  Y'ork  Association  for 
Improving  the  Condition  of  the  Poor,  who  erected  a  bath  house, 
where  a  nominal  fee  of  five  cents  was  charged  for  its  maintenance. 

Since  August  17,  1891,  the  People's  Baths, 
under  the  care  of  this  Association,  have  been  a  successful  object  les- 
son, having  furnished  401,000  baths,  more  than  90  per  cent,  of  which 
have  been  paid  for  by  those  who  have  used  them.  The  operation  of 
a  public  bath,  being  clearly  a  numicipal  function,  should  not  be  left 
to  the  care  of  a  private  philanthropy. 

The  Committee  is  deeply  sensible  of  the 
interest  which  flavor  Strong  has  showm  in  its  work.  The  results 
of  two  years'  study  are  presented  in  the  accompanying  report,  and 


Successful 

Object 

Lesson. 


MAY  UK'S     CUMMITTEE     ON     PUBLIC     BATHS. 


Under- 
ground 
Public 
Comfort 
Stations. 


Worthy 
Memorial. 


Acknowl- 
edgments. 


the  Committee  may  be  allowed  to  state  that  the  following  plans  and 
studies  suggested  and  formulated  by  the  Committee  have  been 
favorably  received. 

1.  The  Board  of  Health  of  the  Health  Department  has  the  honor 
to  have  approved,  August  20,  1895,  a  full  set  of  plans  and  specifi- 
cations for  a  bath  house,  to  be  built  on  a  city  lot  100  by  50  feet. 

2.  The  same  Board  has  also  approved  one  hundred  Public 
Comfort  Stations. 

3.  General  C.  H.  T.  Collis,  Commissioner  of  Public  Works, 
has  likewise  approved  a  full  set  of  plans  and  specifications  for  a 
Public  Bath,  which  was  intended  to  have  been  located  in  Tompkins 
Square.  He  has  also  approved  two  underground  public  comfort 
stations,  one  to  be  located  in  the  City  Hall  Park,  the  other  in  the 
small  park  in  Greeley  Square. 

4.  The  passage  of  mandatory  legislation,  March  25,  1896,  ap- 
propriated $200,000  for  buildings  for  Public  Baths  and  Comfort 
Stations. 

The  action  of  Mayor  Strong  in  naming  an 
Advisory  Committee  on  Baths  has  been  since  followed  by  the  Hon- 
orable Josiah  Quincy,  the  Mayor  of  Boston,  and  the  Honorable 
Emory  N.  Yard,  the  Mayor  of  Trenton. 

In  the  age  of  Augustus,  the  Roman  who 
stood  nearest  the  Emperor  did  not  consider  it  beneath  his  dignity 
to  present  a  public  bath  to  his  city.  In  these  days,  when  wealth  is 
abounding  on  every  hand,  and  men  and  women  are  desirous  of 
leaving  a  worthy  memorial,  what  larger  social  service  could  be 
rendered  than  the  erection  and  equipment  of  a  public  bath?  If 
such  a  benefaction  was  honored  in  the  days  of  Rome,  surely  there 
are  merchant  princes  in  our  American  cities  whose  public  spirit  will 
make  possible  a  monument  to  the  lasting  honor  of  their  own  mu- 
nicipality. 

The  Committee  begs  to  acknowledge  the 
cordial  cooperation  of  the  Board  of  Managers  of  the  Association 
for  Improving  the  Condition  of  the  Poor,  and  would  especially  ex- 
tend its  thanks  to  the  firm  of  Messrs.  Cady,  Berg  &  See,  architects 
and  engineers,  for  their  expert  advice  and  for  the  plans  and  studies. 

It  would  also  express  earnest  acknowl- 
edgments to  the  Mayors  and  public  officials  of  English  and  Con- 


PREFACE.  7 

tinental  cities,  vvluj  have  placed  at  the  disposal  of  the  Committee 
plans,  (Irawinj^s,  special  rept^rts  and  expert  advice,  particularly  II. 
Montague  Jiatcs,  Principal  Clerk  to  the  Commissioners  of  Sewers 
of  the  City  of  London;  Job  Cox,  Superintendent  and  Engineer  of 
the  Baths  Department,  City  of  Birmingham,  and  Chief  Engineer 
Andreas  Meyer,  of  Ilaniburj^^. 

(Signed)  WILLIAM  GASTON  HAMILTON, 
MOREAU  MORRIS, 
WILLIAM  HOWE  TOLMAN, 

Committee. 


Report   on   Public   Baths   and   Public 
Comfort   Stations. 


CHAPTER  I. 


INTRODUCTORY. 


Hon.  William  L.  Strong, 

Mayor,  New  York  City. 
Sir:— 

Your  Committee  takes  pleasure  in  sub- 
mitting the  accompanying  report,  in  accordance  with  your  request 
of  June  25tli,  1895,  "to  continue  investigation  regarding  baths  and 
lavatories  and  see  if  some  means  cannot  be  devised  for  erecting  and 
trying  at  once  some  of  the  recommendations  of  the  Sub-Committee 
of  the  Committee  of  Seventy."  It  is  needless  to  mention  the  im- 
perative necessity  of  a  sufficient  number  of  free  public  baths  in  a 
great  city  like  New  York.  The  fact  that  there  is  not  a  single  munici- 
pal public  bath  open  the  year  round  in  New  York  is  significant. 
New  York  and  other  x\merican  cities  are  far  behind  those  of  Eu- 
rope, especially  London,  Birmingham,  Glasgow,  Paris  and  Berlin, 
in  the  municipal  provision  which  is  made  for  the  comfort  and  wel- 
fare of  all  the  component  parts  of  their  citizenship. 

There  are  numerous  indications  that 
American  cities  are  proceeding  to  take  under  advisement  these  pro- 
visions for  public  comfort,  and  it  is  particularly  gratifying  to  your 
Committee  that  the  movement  in  many  cases  came  from  the  im- 
pulse which  you  have  given  to  civic  betterment  in  New  York  City. 

This  report  to  your  Honor  may  seem  to 
have  been  delayed  unauly,  indicated  by  the  fact  that  the  press  and 
individuals  have  had  so  much  interest  in  the  subject  of  Baths,  that 
they  have  made  specific  inquiry  of  you,  when  it  would  appear,  but  it 
should  be  brought  to  your  notice  that  the  subject  entrusted  to  your 
Committee  had  to  be  studied  from  the  very  beginning,  and  the  great 
volume  of  information  was  sought  from  English  and  Continental 
cities;  in  other  words,  outside  of  the  reports  of  baths  made  possible 
by  a  few  great  philanthropies,  there  was  no  information  to  be  de- 
rived from  the  cities  of  the  United  States.    Accordinglv  vour  Corn- 


Free 

Public 

Baths. 


Great 
Philan- 
thropies. 


10 


MAYOR'S    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 


mittee  put  itself  in  communication  with  Mayors  and  other 
officials  in  the  capital  cities  of  England  and  Europe;  the  courtesy  of 
their  replies  and  the  wealth  of  illustrative  material  sent  it,  has 
placed  it  in  a  position  to  present  to  you  a  digest  of  the  latest,  hence 
the  best,  experience  of  the  civilized  world.  From  a  study  of  this 
experience  your  Honor  can  satisfy  himself  on  the  soundness  of  the 
conclusions  and  recommendations  of  your  Committee. 

At  this  point  attention  should  be  directed 
to  the  following  tabulation  for  the  city  of  London  as  an  evidence  of 
the  provisions  of  that  municipality  in  response  to  popular  demands 
for  baths.  It  will  be  noted  that  this  study  was  made  in  1892,  and 
indicates  the  extensive  provisions  made  for  the  city  of  London 
alone. 

PUBLIC  BATHS  AND  WASH  HOUSES,  1891-2. 


Locality. 


Cost  of 
Water. 


Bathers. 


Washers. 


Batt€rsea 

Bermondsey 

Bloomsbury 

Chelsea 

Greenwich 

Hampstead 

Islington 

Kensington , 

Lewisham 

Paddington , 

Poplar 

Eotherhithe ■ 

St.  George-in-the-East 

St.  George,  Hanover  Square 

St.  Giles,  Camberwell 

St.  Martin-in-the-Fields  . . . 

St.  Maiylebone , 

St.  Pancras , 

St.  Margaret  and  St.  John  . 

Whitechapel , 

St.  .James,  Westminster. . . . , 


£258 
262 
237 


372 

327 
412 

405 
185 
214 
134 
830 

251 
411 

899 
158 
385 

382 


not  stated 

118,368    '92-93 

not  stated 

Baths  not  then 

not  stated 

93,623 
Baths  not  then 
'  not  stated 
92,045    '92-93 
179,784 
116,738    '93-94 
not  stated 
74,038 
240,508 
Baths  not  then 
57,111 
142,667 
117,882 
not  stated 
134,697 
107,257 


not  stated 
24,947    '92-93 
not  stated 
opened, 
not  stated 
not  stated 
opened. 

not  stated 

not  stated 

19,639 

9,293    '93-94 

not  stated 

not  stated 

44,789 

opened. 

35,340 
38,959 
66,182 
not  stated 
20,563 
49.171 


Total I  £6,122 


1,474,718 


308,883 


Part  of 

Wisdom. 


It  should  be  stated  at  this  point  that  your 
Committee  means  by  a  public  bath  an  establishment  under  the  con- 
trol of  the  municipality,  where  a  hot  or  cold  bath  may  be  obtained 
at  any  time  during  the  year.  Such  a  public  bath  may  be  free  or  fees 
may  be  charged,  the  latter  practice  obtaining  in  nearly  all  of  the 
cities  of  the  world.  If  the  city  provides  the  plant,  those  using  it 
should  pay  for  that  privilege.  This  is  the  part  of  wisdom,  because 
the  idea  of  charity  should  be  mainly  eliminated  from  a  public  bath, 


and  the  ojjcrating  expenses  will  he  lu-arly  met  by  the  fees.  Tlpe 
present  law  provides  for  a  free  public  bath,  but  a  fee  may  be  charged 
for  the  use  of  towels  and  soap;  a  certain  part  of  each  bath,  say  15 
or  25  per  cent.,  may  be  absolutely  free. 

There  are  not  more  than  ffjur  public  baths 
under  the  control  of  cities  in  the  United  States;  but  that  your 
Honor  may  realize  that  the  conditions  are  not  much  worse  in  New 
York  than  in  some  of  the  other  large  municipalities,  and  that  the 
needs  are  none  the  less  imperative,  an  excerpt  from  the  Seventh 
Special  Report  of  the  United  States  Commissioner  of  Labor  is 
submitted. 

"New  York. — (i)  Starting  from  the  corner  of  Centre  and 
Worth,  along  Centre  to  Leonard,  along  Leonard  to  Baxter,  along 
Baxter  to  Canal,  along  Canal  to  Centre,  along  Centre  to  Hester, 
along  Hester  to  Mulberry,  along  Mulberry  to  Spring,  along  Spring 
to  Elizabeth,  along  Elizabeth  to  Canal,  along  Canal  to  Bowery, 
along  Bowery  to  Worth,  and  along  Worth  to  Centre. 

"(2)  Starting  from  the  corner  of  Broome  and  Broadway,  along 
Broadway  to  East  Houston,  along  East  Houston  to  Elizabeth, 
along  Elizabeth  to  Prince,  along  Prince  to  Marion,  along  Marion 
to  Spring,  along  Spring  to  Crosby,  along  Crosby  to  Broome  and 
along  Broome  to  Broadway." 


New 

York's 

Need.s. 


POPULATION  OF  THE  SLUM  DISTRICTS  CANVASSED. 


at  J. 

June  1, 1890. 
(Eleventh  Census). 

April  1, 1893. 

Baltimore 

16.878           1           18,048 

Chicago 

17,637           '           19.748 

New  Yorli   

27.462                      28.996 

Philadelptiia   

15,409                      17,060 

Total 


77,386 


83,852 


NUMBER  AND  PER  CENT.  OF  FAMILIES  AND  INDIVIDUALS  IN 

HOUSES   OR  TENEMENTS   HAVING   AND    NOT 

HAVING  BATH  ROOMS. 


Population  of  Houses  or  Tenements 
having  Bath  Rooms. 

Population  of  Houses  or  Tenements 
not  having  Bath  Rooms. 

City. 

Number 

Per 

cent. 

Number.                    Per  cent. 

Fami-  1  ludivi- 
lies.    [   duals. 

Fami- 
lies. 

Indivi- 
duals. 

Fami-    i     Indivi-     j    Fami-     Indivi- 
lies.      '      duals.           lies.         duals. 

Baltimore   . . . 

Chicago 

New  York    . . 
Philadelphia 

296 
110 
138 
560 

1,663        7.35 

748        2.83 
1.888        2.33 
3.080      16.90 

9.21 

3.79 

6.51 

18.05 

3.732  1  16.385  j  92.65  \  90.79 
3.771      19.000      97.17  |  96.21 
5,774      27,108      97.67      93.49 
2.753  I   13.980      83.10  ,  81.95 

12 


MAIORS    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 


NUMBER  AND  PER  CENT.  OF  FAMILIES  AND  INDIVIDUALS  IN 

HOUSES  OR  TENEMENTS  HAVING  WATER  CLOSETS 

OR  PRIVIES. 


Population  of  Houses  or  Tenements 
having  Water  Closets. 


Population  of  Houses  or  Tenements 
having  Privies. 


City. 

Number.                  Per  cent. 

Number. 

Per  cent. 

Fimii-  1   ludivi-  1    Fami-    1   Indivi- 
lies.     1    duals.    1      lies.      |    duals. 

Fami-        indivi- 
lies.          duals. 

Fam!-    |  ludlvi- 
lies.      1  duals. 

Baltimore    . .  i    486      2,637      12.07      14.61 
Chicago     ....;i,027      5,492      26.46      27.81 
New  Yorlc  ..i2,797  |14,716      47.31      50.75 
Philadelphia  1 1,006  |  5,473      30.37      32.08 

3,542      15,411      87.93      85.39 
2,854      14,256      73.54      72.19 
3,115      14,280      52.69      49.25 
2,307      11,587      69.63      67.92 

1 7  Bath 
Rooms 
for  480 
Houses. 


An  additional  investigation,  comprehend- 
ing 480  houses  in  the  New  York  sknii  districts  canvassed,  was  made 
in  order  to  ascertain  how  many  persons  in  each  house  were  com- 
pelled to  use  the  same  bathrooms,  water  closets  and  privies.  Out  of 
a  total  of  480  houses  visited  for  this  puipose  in  New  York,  but 
seventeen  had  bathrooms.  "The  average  number  of  persons  to  a 
bathroom  in  the  houses  having  bathrooms  was  8.14  in  New  York. 
The  table  itself  shows  the  details  for  each  specified  number  of  per- 
sons to  a  bathroom  in  each  house.  It  should  be  borne  in  mind 
that  these  figures  refer  only  to  the  houses  having  bathrooms,  96.67 
per  cent,  of  the  houses  investigated  in  New  York  being  entirely 
without  such  accommodations.  The  average  number  of  persons 
compelled  to  use  the  same  water  closet  or  privy  was  10.52  persons 
in  New  York.  This  average,  although  for  but  a  small  portion  of 
the  slum  district  of  New  York,  is  thought  to  be  fairly  representative 
of  the  whole.    The  table  relating  to  bathrooms  follows: 


NUMBER  OF  PERSONS  TO  A  BATHROOM. 


3  or  under    4 2 

4  or  under    5 3 

5  or  under    6 2 

6  or  under    7 3 

7  or  under    8 1 

11  or  under  12 1 

12  or  under  13 1 


13  or  under    14 1 

15  or  under    16 1 

24  or  under    25 1 

110  or  under  111 1 

Total  houses  17 


In  the  480  houses  inspected  in  New  York 
91  had  water  closets,  363  privies,  and  26  both  water  closets  and 
privies. 

NUMBER  OF  PERSONS' TO  A  WATER  CLOSET  OR  PRIVY. 
Under  1 


1  or  under    2 

2  or  under    3 

3  or  under    4 


3 
11 
14 
27 


4  or  under 

5  or  under 


6  or  under    7 35 


7  or  under    8 


40 


The  Swimming  Pool  in  the  Baths  of  Diocletian  in  Classic  Rome.  In  this 
establishment  3.200  bathers  could  be  accommodated  at  once.  The  proposed 
bath  at  Tompkins  Square  would  have  accommodated  96  at  one  time.  It  was 
staled,  on  the  authority  of  Pliny,  that  for  600  years  Rome  needed  no  medicine 
but  the  public  baths. 


A  Hall  in  the  Baths  of  Caracalla  (Rome),  .^.d.  212.  1.600  bathers  could  be 
accommodated  at  one  time.  One  hall  in  the  Baths  of  Diocletian  was  made  by- 
Michael  Angelo  into  the  Church  of  S.  Maria  de  gli  Angeli. 


LNTKODI  (rj'OltV 


13 


S  (>!• 

!)  Ol- 
io or 
1 1  or 
1*2  or 
i;{  or 

14  or 
If)  or 
Ki  or 
17  or 

15  or 
1!)  oir 
20  or 
151  or 


imdcr 
iiiHlcr 

uiuler 
iiiidcM' 
under 

lIlKhT 

umlcr 
under 
under 
under 
under 
under 
untlor 


•A7 

4r. 

44 

;{r> 

21 

18 

in 

r> 
n 

8 
9 

4 


or  und«-r  li.'! 
or  under  25 
or  under  2S 
oi'  under  2!) 
or  under  .'il 
or  under  .'{2 
or  under  .''..'{ 
oi-  nndi-r  ;!;') 
<ir  under  42 
or  under  44 
or  under  US 


*'rotal  lious< 


1 
1 
1 
1 
1 

48fJ 


A  system  of  public  baths  is  an  imperative 
need,  not  only  as  a  means  of  healthful  living,  but  also  as  a 
necessity  for  counteracting  the  unsanitary  conditions  of  the  oc- 
cupiers of  the  lodging  houses.  Public  safety  demands  an  ade- 
quate system  of  public  baths.  The  majority  of  the  patrons  of 
lodging  houses  is  the  lower  classes,  the  flotsam  and  jetsam  of 
a  great  city;  because  they  are  so  low,  they  are  dirty  and  unclean. 
The  tendency  of  the  lodging  house  is  downwards,  and  the  environ- 
ment is  such  as  keeps  a  man  vicious.  Until  the  city  authorities 
insist  on  the  strictest  control  of  the  lodging  houses,  or  build  muni- 
cipal lodging  houses,  the  patrons  of  many  of  the  present  lodg- 
ing houses  are  a  menace  to  the  sanitary  safety  of  the  communit)'. 
That  your  Honor  may  realize  the  perils  of  the  lodging  houses, 
merely  from  the  sanitary  viewpoint,  because  of  their  inadequate 
provisions  for  the  means  of  a  cleansing  bath,  we  append 
the  salient  facts  regarding  the  lodging  houses,  from  a  report  made 
to  us  in  December,  1894.  through  the  courtesy  of  Hon.  Charles  G. 
Wilson,  President  of  the  Health  Department. 

BATHING  ACCO:\010DATION  TROVIDED  BY  LODGING  HOUSES. 
December  26,  1894. 


Lodgers 

N'umber  of 

Number  of 

Bath  Tubs,  etc, 

Average  Use 

Free  or 

Allowed. 

Bath  Tubs. 

Showers. 

with  hot  water. 

PMly. 

Paid  For. 

1 

107 

2 

none 

ves 

20 

free 

2 

105 

none 

" 

none 

none 

none 

3 

1(>8 

" 

" 

«' 

«' 

4 

150 

1 

" 

ves 

10 

free 

5 

:U9 

3 

" 

'' 

25 

" 

6 

157 

1 

2 

" 

15 

<t 

7 

185 

1 

none 

" 

10 

" 

8 

133 

none 

" 

none 

none 

none 

9 

189 

" 

" 

'• 

" 

'• 

10 

90 

" 

^Seventh  Special  Keporr  of  the  Commissiouer  of  Labor.  The  Slums 
of  Baltimore.  Chicago.  New  York  and.  Philadelphia.  Carroll  D.  Wright. 
Washington.  1S94. 


Flotsam 

and 

Jetsam. 


14 


MAYOR'S    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS, 


Lodgers 

Number  of 

Number  of    IBath  Tubs,  etc. 

Average  Use 

Free  or 

Allowed. 

Bath  Tubs. 

Showers. 

with  hot  water. 

Daily. 

Paid  For. 

11 

255 

2 

none 

Tubs,    yes 

5  to  6 

tree 

12 

160 

2 

" 

ti          ti 

12  to  15 

" 

13 

198 

none 

" 

none 

none 

none 

14 

136 

3 

" 

Tubs,   yes 

6 

free 

15 

82 

none 

" 

none 

none 

none 

16 

270 

«' 

" 

" 

•' 

K 

17 

150 

2 

i( 

yes 

10 

free 

18 

195 

2 

" 

12 

" 

19 

135 

1 

'« 

>i 

1 

11 

20 

105 

1 

u 

" 

2 

it 

21 

105 

none 

" 

none 

none 

none 

22 

90 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" 

23 

56 

" 

" 

ii 

11 

" 

24 

94 

" 

" 

" 

'• 

11 

25 

120 

1 

" 

yes 

5 

free 

26 

389 

2 

" 

" 

7 

" 

27 

210 

2 

" 

u 

15 

free 

28 

206 

1 

" 

" 

15 

" 

29 

121 

1 

" 

(( 

12 

" 

30* 

270 

3 

" 

'' 

2 

" 

31* 

1     61 

none 

1> 

none 

none 

none 

32 

126 

1 

11 

" 

paid  for 

33 

150 

2 

(< 

yes 

12 

free 

34 

85 

none 

" 

n')ue 

none 

none 

35 

71 

1 

" 

yes 

10 

free 

36 

285 

2 

" 

25 

" 

37 

75 

none 

" 

none 

none 

none 

38 

120 

1 

" 

yes 

3 

free 

39 

194 

none 

" 

none 

none 

none 

40 

271 

2 

*' 

Tubs,   yes 

12 

free 

41 

77 

none 

" 

none 

none 

none 

42 

103 

" 

n 

'' 

'♦ 

" 

43 

107 

'< 

" 

" 

" 

" 

44 

317 

" 

" 

" 

" 

li 

45 

116 

" 

u 

" 

" 

'« 

46 

134 

1 

t( 

yes 

3 

free 

47 

143 

1 

3 

t( 

48 

49 

vacant 

49 

38 

none 

" 

none 

none 

none 

50 

38 

1 

" 

yes 

2 

free 

51 

150 

1 

" 

3 

(1 

52 

281 

none 

" 

none 

none 

none 

53 

14 

" 

" 

" 

" 

" 

54 

137 

4 

" 

yes 

20 

free 

55 

146 

2 

" 

6 

" 

56 

112 

1 

" 

" 

4 

" 

57 

172 

1 

(( 

(1 

9 

" 

58 

132 

none 

♦' 

none 

none 

none 

59 

176 

1 

it 

yes 

5 

free 

60 

17 

none 

" 

none 

none 

none 

61 

147 

«' 

" 

1 1 

" 

(1 

62 

101 

1 

" 

yes 

" 

free 

63 

292 

none 

(( 

none 

" 

none 

64 

180 

1 

" 

yes 

3  to  5] 

free 

65 

143 

1 

" 

" 

7 

66 

75 

1  not  in  use 

67 

73 

none 

" 

none 

none 

none 

68 

152 

2 

" 

yes 

7 

free 

69* 

104 

none 

" 

none 

none 

none 

Revoked. 


INTRODUCTORY. 


Tvodgor.M 
AUowod. 

Number  of 
Bath 'I'll l)H. 

Num»)(ir  fif      H«th  Tiibii,  etc. 
Hhowcm.        with  hot,  wator. 

Average  Vh: 
VtSif. 

Free  or 
Pal'l  For. 

70 

68 

none 

none 

none 

none 

none 

71 

145 

" 

' ' 

J  J 

72 
73 

(52 
202 

1 

.. 

yen 

1  a  wcel< 

74 

103 

nouc! 

" 

none 

none 

none 
frc;e 

75 

89 

I 

" 

ycH 

3 

76 

95 

none 

" 

non<! 

none 

none 

77 

220 

" 

" 

" 

\[ 

78 
79 

68 
145 

2 

.. 

ycH 

2 

1  free,  1  pay 

80 

15 

none 

" 

none, 

none 

none 

81 
82 

186 
145 

7 

.> 

yes 

10 

free 

83 

45 

none 

" 

none. 

none 

none 

84 

305 

" 

( t 

11 

85 
86 

28 
143 

ti 

11 
2 

ye-s 

8 

free 

87 

30 

" 

none 

none 

none 

none 

88 

30 

" 

" 

" 

K 

89 
90 

21 
116 

1 

.1 

yes 

7 

free 

91 

139 

1 

'' 

*  ^ 

2 
2 
2 
30 

92 

90 

1 

" 

" 

93 

120 

1 

" 

" 

94 

75 

1 

'' 

(  i 

95 

113 

none 

" 

none 

none 

none 

96 

167 

<t 

" 

*' 

97 

98 

252 
146 

2 

11 

yes 

10 

free 

99 

238 

none 

" 

none 

none 

none 

100 

44 

2 

" 

yes 

30 

free 

101 
102 

24 
69 

none 
1 

!: 

none 

none 

none 
free 

103 

24 

none 

It 

" 

none 

104 
105 

368 
330 

1 
1 

11 

yes 

6 

15 

5c  chgd. 
free 

106 

100 

none 

7 

*' 

60 

107 

108 

3 

1 

" 

10 

108 

32 

1 

none 

** 

O 

109 

92 

3 

i< 

" 

12 
12 

110 

166 

2 

" 

*' 

111 

46 

none 

" 

none 

none 

none 

112 
113 

68 
295 

3 

11 

yes 

2 

free 

114 

25 

1 

" 

" 

none 

115 

142 

none 

" 

none 

none 

Total  number  of  lodging  houses  Gess  3  revoked) ....  11- 

Total  number  of  lodgers  allowed  in  same lo,-3d 

Total  number  without  baths  of  any  kind   5o 

Total  number  of  lodgers  allowed  in  these ^-^iz 

Total  number  of  houses  with  baths ^_^ 

Total  number  of  baths  in  these ^^ 

Total  number  of  lodgers  allowed  in  these 8,S(il 

Total  number  of  baths  with  hot  water 56 

Average  daily  use  of  baths  (total)    546 

Free  baths  ^ 

Baths  paid  for  3 


Iti 


MAlUlfS    COMMITTEE    OX    PUBLIC    BATHS. 


Water 
and  a 
Tub. 


AVinter 
Baths. 


That  the  mere  provision  of  water  and  a 
tub  is  not  always  a  sufficient  inducement  for  a  cleansing  bath,  is 
evidenced  by  the  replies  of  some  of  the  patrons  of  the  lodging 
houses,  wlien  asked  their  opinion  of  the  bathing  accommodations. 
These  replies  will  corroborate  the  recommendations  of  your  Com- 
mittee that  the  municipal  baths  should  have  a  sufficient  number  of 
paid  attendants. 

The  following  are  among  the  reasons 
given  by  lodging-house  men  for  not  using  the  baths  in  the  house 
Avhere  they  sleep. 

C.  D.— "The  tubs  can  only  be  used  from  5  A.  ^I.  to  7  A.  M." 
J.  M. — "The  shower  baths  are  the  best  for  taking  the  dirt  ofif  a 
fellow." 

R.  G. — "The  tubs  are  never  cleaned  out  from  the  appearance  of 
them." 

T.  W. — "Can't  get  a  good  wash  without  hot  water." 
W.  B. — "The  tubs  are  only  an  advertisement  for  the  house, 
not  clean." 

F.  S. — "Find  too  many  old  medicine  bottles  for  my  taste." 
P.  M. — "Not  enough  hot  water." 
J.  L. — "Do  not  like  tub  baths." 

B. — "Bad  enough  to  sleep  in  a  lodging  house,  without  using 
their  tub  baths." 

In  June,  1884,  an  act  was  passed  providing 
for  a  commission  to  inquire  into  the  character  and  condition  of 
tenement  houses  in  the  city  of  New  York.  From  its  careful 
study  of  the  existing  condition,  the  commission  quickly  reached  the 
conclusion  that  free  winter  baths  were  a  necessity  to  improve  the 
condition  of  the  tenement  house  quarter.  January  14,  1885,  the 
Commission  forwarded  its  preliminary  report  to  the  Legislature. 
Among  other  recommendations  was  the  following,  which  was 
proposed  by  the  Secretary  of  the  Commission,  Moreau  Morris, 
M.  D. 

"An  Act  (Chapter  448,  Laws  of  1884),  passed  June  2,  1884,  to  pro- 
vide for  a  commission  to  inquire  into  the  character  and  con- 
dition of  tenement  houses  in  the  City  of  New  York. 
"i.  Alexander  Shaler,  Joseph  O.  Drexel,  Oswald  Ottendorfer,  Mor- 
eau Morris,  Anthony  Reichardt,  Joseph  O'Donohue,  Abbott 
Hodgman,  Charles  F.  Wingate  and  William  P.  Easterbrook 
are  hereby  appointed  a  Commission  to  investigate  and  inquire' 
into  the  character  and  condition  of  tenement  houses,  lodging 
houses  and  cellars  in  the  City  of  New  York,  etc.,  etc.,  etc. 


i.\'i"K(>j)i:(:'r(jitv.  IT 

"19.  Imcc  VVinlcr  I'.atlis. — That  tlu;  city  shall  cstahhsh  free  winter 
baths  throughout  the  tenement  house  districts  of  the  city,"* 
Very  cheap  baths  have  been  recently  established  in  the  poorer 
quarters  of  London  with  great  success.  We  already  have  free  sum- 
mer baths  which  liavc  proved  a  blessing;  during  three  months  of 
1883  more  than  2,000,000  baths  were  taken  in  those  establishments. 
P'ree  winter  baths  would  greatly  enhance  the  cleanliness  of  the 
tenement  house  population,  would  lessen  the  danger  of  diseases, 
and  would  be  one  safeguard  against  the  spread  of  epidemics. 

During  the  existence  of  the  sub-committee 
of  the  Conmiittee  of  Seventy  on  Baths  and  Lavatories,  the  Tene- 
ment House  Committee  of  1894  presented  its  report  to  the  Legis- 
lature. 

The  Tenement  House  Committee  of  1894, 
which  was  appointed  in  accordance  with  law,  was  organized 
under  the  chairmanship  of  Richard  Watson  Gilder,  and  Edward 
Marshall  as  Secretary.  Very  early  in  its  inquiries,  it  was  con- 
fronted with  the  problem  of  public  baths.  It  was  the  opinion  of  the 
Committee  that  it  is  evident  that  the  bathing  habit  is  growing 
among  the  masses  of  the  people,  and  it  is  also  evident  that  the  prac- 
tice stands  greatly  in  need  of  encouragement  by  means  of  increased 
opportunities. 

The  Secretary  reports  that  out  of  a  total 
population  of  255,033  covered  by  the  committee's  inspection,  only 
306  persons  have  access  to  bathrooms  in  the  houses  in  which  they 
live.  The  only  way  in  which  the  occupants  of  tenement  houses  can 
bathe  is  by  using  a  tub  of  some  kind,  filled  from  the  faucet  in  the 
kitchen  or  from  that  in  the  hall,  or  with  water  carried  up  from  the 
yard.  It  is  apparent  that  such  conditions  as  these  do  not  encourage 
the  practice  of  bathing.  Nor  is  this  all.  The  number  of  rooms  oc- 
cupied by  a  family  in  a  tenement  house  is  generally  so  small  that 
every  inch  of  space  is  occupied.  Even  when  the  occupants  are  wil- 
ling to  incur  the'  labor  of  carpy-ing  water  from  the  faucet  in  the  hall 
or  from  the  yard,  it  is  difficult  to  secure  the  privacy  which  is  nec- 
essary for  the  bath. 

It  is  thus  evident  that  though  the  number 
of  baths  taken  at  various  bathing  places  in  the  city  may  be  large 
in  the  aggregate,  the  persons  who  actually  bathe  are  not  numerous, 
and  the  great  majority  of  the  tenement  house  population  is  not  yet 
reached. 

*Copy  from  tlie  Secretary's  miuutes  of  the  Tenement  House  Com- 
mission. 


Qilder 
Committee. 


No 
Privacy 


18 


MAIOKS    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 


Millions 

for 

Charity. 


European 
Models. 


Lavatories. 


The  freer  use  of  water  by  the  tenement 
house  population  would  aid  them  very  materially  in  their  struggle 
for  existence  by  assisting  the  elimination  from  their  system  of  the 
poisons  absorbed  in  the  sunless  and  airless  dwellings.  That  sev- 
eral hundred  thousand  people  in  the  city  have  no  proper  facilities 
for  keeping  their  bodies  clean  is  a  disgrace  to  the  city  and  to  the  civ- 
ilization of  the  nineteenth  century.  These  facilities  have  been  used 
and  are  abundant  in  many  enlightened  nations,  and  they  are  being 
increased  in  every  way  possible.  The  amount  of  money  annually 
spent  in  charity  in  this  city  amounts  to  millions,  and  the  question 
arises  whether  it  be  not  greater  economy  to  spend  more  for  the 
preservation  of  health  and  the  prevention  of  disease,  because  less 
would  then  be  required  for  the  support  and  care  of  the  sick  and  help- 
less. The  cultivation  of  the  habit  of  personal  cleanliness  has  a 
favorable  effect  also  upon  the  character;  tending  to  self-respect  and 
decency  of  life. 

The  committee  believed  it  would  conduce 
greatly  to  the  public  health  if  New  York  should  follow  the  example 
of  many  of  the  cities  of  the  Old  World  and  open  municipal  baths 
in  the  crowded  districts.  It,  therefore,  favored  the  building,  at  the 
beginning,  of  at  least  one  fully  equipped  bathing  establishment  on 
the  best  European  models,  affording  every  kind  of  bath  desirable,  at 
moderate  charges.  The  same  Committee  reviewed  the  work  of  the 
Tenement  House  Commission  of  1884  in  the  light  of  original  rec- 
ommendations, and  in  compliance  with  them,  the  following  sec- 
tions concern  baths  and  the  Commissioners'  opinion. 

(19)    "That  the  city  establish  free  winter  baths  throughout  the 
tenement  house  districts  of  the  city. 

"This  recommendation  has  not  been  adopt- 
ed. In  the  opinion  of  this  Committee,  the  matter  of  baths  is  of 
great  importance,  and,  consequently,  this  committee  unites  in  a  rec- 
ommendation that  bathing  establishments,  at  which  a  small  charge 
shall  be  made,  be  constructed.  The  reasons  for  this  are  set  forth  at 
greater  length  in  another  part  of  this  report." 

The  committee  summed  up  its  work  in 
twenty-one  definite  recommendations,  on  which  it  requested  the 
modification  of  old  and  enactment  of  new  laws.  Its  opinion  re- 
garding public  baths  and  lavatories  was  positive. 

75.    "  Municipal  Bathing  Establishments. 

"That,  in  addition  to  free  floating  baths 
maintained  in  the  summer  months,  the  city  should  open  in  the 


INTRODUCTORY. 


V.) 


crowded  districts  fiilly-cciiiippcd   h.-iiliing-  establishments,  on  tlie 
best  European  models,  and  witli  nnxUratc  charges. 

"The  Connnittee  makes  the  above  recom- 
mendation in  the  interests  of  tiie  pubhc  health.  Hundreds  of 
thousands  of  our  po])ulation  are  without  sufficient  bathing  facil- 
ities, while  it  is  evident  that  the  bathing  habit  increases  among 
them  in  proportion  to  the  (Opportunity  afforded.  The  baths  now 
maintained  by  benevolent  orgrmizations  at  small  charges  arc  prin- 
cipally rain  baths.  The  bathing  habit  abroad  has  been  greatly  in- 
creased owing  to  the  popularity  of  the  swinmiing  baths,  and  it  is 
believed  that  municipal  establishments  here  will  be  more  successful 
in  accomplishing  their  purposes  if  swimming  baths  be  included  in 
their  arrangements. 

l6.      ^'Drinking  Founlains  and  Lavatories. 

"That  numerous  drinking  fountains  and 
sufficient  public  lavatories  be  established  in  the  tenement  house 
districts.  The  most  crowded  districts  of  the  city  are  destitute  of 
such  ordinary  conveniences;  and  the  same  should  be  promptly  pro- 
vided. In  foreign  cities,  as  appeared  in  the  testimony  at  the  public 
hearings,  lavatories  of  an  elaborate  character  have  been  built  with 
accommodations  for  which  moderate  charges  are  made."  * 

The  canvass  of  the  Federation  of  Churches 
shows  that  there  are  only  1,037  bathtubs  for  8,176  families  in 
the  Fifteenth  Assembly  District,  or  i  bathtub  to  7.9  families. 
Of  these  baths,  767  are  in  houses  between  Eighth  and  Ninth 
Avenues,  in  which  3,334  families  live,  or  i  to  4.3  families. 
Thus,  for  the  4,842  families  west  of  Ninth  Avenue,  the  Federation 
discovers  only  270  bathtubs,  or  i  to  17.9  families.  For  the  3.105 
between  Ninth  and  Tenth  Avenues,  262,  or  i  to  11. 9  families.  For 
the  1,737  families  west  of  Tenth  Avenue,  it  discovers  but  8,  or  i  to 
2 1 7. 1  families.  For  the  1,321  from  Tenth  to  Eleventh  Avenue,  it 
discovers  3  tubs,  or  i  to  440.3  families.  For  the  416  families  west 
of  Eleventh  Avenue,  it  discovers  5  tubs,  or  i  to  83.2  families.  The 
tiers  of  blocks  between  Eighth  and  Tenth  Avenues,  and  Eleventh 
Avenue  and  the  river,  seem,  strangely  enough,  to  be  the  best  pro- 
vided. The  condition  between  Eighth  and  Tenth  Avenues  is  easily 
understood;  but  why  should  there  be  a  higher  average  of  bathtubs 
from  Eleventh  Avenue  to  the  river  than  from  Tenth  to  Eleventh 
Avenue?  It  is  evident  that  the  people  are  not  satisfied  with  their 
proximity  to  the  river,  and  the  remark  of  an  old  Irishman  to  the 
writer  is  probably  the  true  explanation :  "Shure  oi  don't  want  to  live 
*Reportof  the  Tenement  House  Committee,  1895,  pp.  75,  76. 


Bathin{( 
Habit. 


Ordinary 
Conveni- 
ences. 


20 


MAlOKiS    COMMITTEE    OX    PLIBLIC    BATHS. 


'*  Me  Own 
Shanty." 


Rent 
Statistics. 


in  those  big  houses  any  more.  Foightin'  above  yez,  swearin'  be- 
low yez,  drinkin'  all  round  yez;  and  I  juist  come  over  here  and  got 
this  bit  of  a  shanty,  and,  thank  God,  it's  me  own  now!  It  don't 
look  much  outside,  but  it  kapes  out  the  cold  and  the  rain,  and  I've 
got  a  tub  where  I  can  wash  mesilf  whin  I  want  to,  too."  Between 
Eleventh  Avenue  and  the  river  many  houses  are  detached,  and  the 
plumbing  is  not  so  great  a  problem  in  these  smaller  buildings.* 

It  is  safe  to  say  that  the  above  statistics 
show  that  there  is  no  region  of  the  city  in  which  public  baths  and 
lavatories  are  more  urgently  demanded.  If  one  of  the  blocks  above 
mentioned  is  secured  for  a  park,  public  baths  could  be  easily  at- 
tached thereto,  summer  and  winter. 

The  rent  statistics  accumulated  by  the 
Federation  have  already  decided  the  City  and  Suburban  Homes 
Company  to  locate  definitely  upon  the*  West  Side  the  first  block 
of  model  tenements  which  they  propose  to  erect.  The  erection  of 
these  buildings  cannet  but  benefit  the  condition  of  the  people  ten- 
anting the  adjacent  property,  as  rents  in  the  improved  buildings 
will  be  no  higher,  and  the  conveniences  will  be  much  greater. 
There  will  thus  be  good  warrant  for  the  plea  of  tenants  in  the  poor 
homes  to  insist  upon  improvements.  To  meet  present  needs,  how- 
ever, parks,  public  baths,  and  the  enforcement  of  all  laws  designed 
to  prevent  tenement  house  evils,  are  urgently  necessary.  The  people 
of  the  district  living  on  the  West  Side  are  paying,  proportionately 
to  space  occupied,  as  high  a  rent  as  those  living  between  Eighth 
and  Ninth  Avenues,  and  their  privileges  are  very  much  less.  The 
rent  statistics  were  not  taken  for  the  entire  district,  but  the  rent  per 
room  in  the  blocks  taken  between  Eighth  and  Ninth  Avenues  is 
$52.09  per  year;  between  Ninth  and  Tenth,  $41.73;  between  Tenth 
and  Eleventh,  $29.34,  and  between  Eleventh  and  the  river,  $38.31.  It 
will  be  noticed  that  where  the  rent  is  the  highest  the  rooms  are 
the  most  crowded.  Putting  together  the  statistics  of  rent  and  baths 
per  family,  the  facts  are: 


8th  to  9th        9th  to  10th      10th  to  11th      11th  to  12th 
Avenue.  Avenue.  Avenue.  Avenue. 


Kent  per  family |    $22<J.20    |    $158.74    |    $101.91    |    $117.62 

Percentage  of  families  hav-  {  |  |  | 

ins  baths    '        28.1      I  8.4  .23    I  1.2 


Yonkers  is  to-day  ahead  of  New  York  City 


in  its  public  baths. 


*The  Federation  of  Churches  and  Christian  Woi-kers  in  New  York 
City.  First  Sociological  Canvass.  The  Fifteenth  Assembly  District 
N.  Y..  1896. 


CHAPTI'.R  TT. 


THE  MAYOR'S  COMMITTEE  ON  PUHLIC  HATHS  AND  I'UBI,IC 
COMFORT  STATIONS. 

Ill  Seplcnibcr,  1894,  in  an  invitation  to  a 
representative  body  of  citizens  to  a  meeting  at  the  Madison  Square 
Garden,  it  was  stated  that  the  meeting  was  called  "to  consult  as  to 
the  wisdom  and  practicability  of  taking  advantage  of  the  present 
state  of  public  feeling,  to  organize  a  citizens'  movement  for  the 
government  of  the  City  of  New  York,  entirely  outside  of  party 
politics  and  solely  in  the  interest  of  efficiency,  economy,  and  the 
public  health,  comfort  and  safety."  This  meeting,  held  September 
6,  1894,  was  the  genesis  of  the  Committee  of  Seventy.  That  the 
public  might  know  the  attitude  of  the  Committee  towards  muni- 
cipal matters,  its  principles  were  embodied  in  a  platform  which  was 
issued  broadcast.  This  platform  was  a  decided  advance,  because  of 
its  positive  or  constructive  measures;  not  merely  was  corruption  to 
be  exposed  and  malfeasance  in  office  to  be  opposed  by  a  reform  ad- 
ministration, but  certain  definite,  concrete  pledges  were  made  to 
those  who  should  endorse  the  reform  movement  at  the  polls.  A 
study  of  the  platform  will  indicate  the  positive  character. 

"i.  We  demand  that  the  Public  Service  of  this  City  be  conducted 
upon  a  strictly  non-partisan  basis;  that  all  subordinate  appoint- 
ments and  promotions  be  based  on  Civil  Service  examinations,  and 
that  all  examinations,  mental  and  physical,  be  placed  under  the 
control  of  the  Civil  Service  Commission. 

"2.  We  demand  that  the  quality  of  the  Public  Schools  be  im- 
proved, their  capacity  enlarged  and  proper  playgrounds  provided, 
so  that  every  child  within  the  ages  required  by  law  shall  have  ad- 
mission to  the  schools,  the  health  of  the  children  be  protected,  and 
all  such  modern  improvements  be  introduced  as  will  make  our 
Public  Schools  the  equal  of  those  in  any  other  city  in  the  world. 

"3.  We  insist  that  the  property  already  acquired  by  the  city 
under  the  Small  Park  Act  shall  be  promptly  devoted  to  the  pur- 
poses of  this  acquisition,  so  that  our  people  in  the  densely  populated 
parts  of  the  city  shall  fully  enjoy  the  benefits  of  such  expendi- 
tures. 

"4.  We  urge  greater  care  and  thoroughness  in  the  enforcement 
of  the  Health  Laws,  and  demand  the  establishment  of  more  effi- 
cient safeguards  against  disease. 


Repre.sent- 

ntive 

Citizens. 


Non- 
partisan- 
ship. 


Small 
Parks. 


22 


MAYOR'S    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 


Street 
Cleaning. 


Docks. 


Ante- 
Election 
Pledges. 


"5.  We  favor  the  establishment  of  adequate  Pubhc  Baths  and 
Lavatories  for  the  promotion  of  cleanhness  and  increased  pubUc 
comfort,  at  appropriate  places  throughout  the  city. 

"6.  We  demand  the  adoption  of  a  thorough  system  of  Street 
Cleaning,  which  shall  also  include  proper  disposition  of  the  refuse 
and  garbage,  so  that  our  harbor  may  be  kept  free  from  obstruction 
and  defilement  and  the  neighboring  shores  clear  of  ofifal,  thus  con- 
forming to  the  methods  in  other  great  cities. 

"7.    We  call  for  increased  Rapid  Transit  facilities  in  this  city. 

"8.  We  call  for  the  improvement  of  the  Docks  and  Water 
Fronts  of  our  great  maritime  city,  so  that  it  shall  enjoy  the  ad- 
vantages to  which  it  is  entitled  by  its  unique  position  with  its  un- 
rivaled harbor. 

"9.  We  heartily  favor  the  separation  of  the  Municipal  from  State 
and  National  Elections,  and  a  larger  measure  of  Home  Rule  for 
cities." 

After  the  election  there  were  those  of  the 
Committee  of  Seventy  who  felt  the  necessity  of  taking  active 
measures,  looking  toward  the  realization  of  the  ante-election 
pledges.  Accordingly,  a  resolution  prevailed  that  a  committee  of 
five  should  be  chosen  from  the  Seventy,  for  the  express  purpose 
of  making  effective  its  pledges  to  the  people  previous  to  the 
election,  through  the  organization  of  sub-committees,  subject  to 
the  confirmation  of  the  Executive  Committee  of  the  Com- 
mittee of  Seventy.  The  Secretary  of  the  Committee  of  Seventy 
was  John  P.  Faure,  whose  well-known  experience  as  the  Secre- 
tary of  the  St.  John's  Guild,  particularly  in  the  management  of 
the  Floating  Hospital,  made  it  appropriate  that  he  should  select 
the  sub-committee  on  Baths  and  Lavatories.  Mr.  Faure  invited 
William  Gaston  Hamilton,  the  Vice-President  of  the  New  York 
Association  for  Improving  the  Condition  of  the  Poor,  and  the 
Chairman  of  the  Department  which  built  the  People's  Baths,  9 
Centre  Market  Place;  Moreau  Morris,  Medical  Inspector,  ex-Tene- 
ment House  Commissioner  (1884);  James  P.  Archibald,  the  then 
Secretary  of  the  Central  Labor  Union;  David  H.  King,  Jr.,  archi- 
tect, and  William  Howe  Tolman,  the  then  Secretary  of  the  City 
Vigilance  League.  Acceptance  having  been  received  from  all  these 
gentlemen,  the  meeting  for  organization  resulted  in  the  election  of 
William  Gaston  Hamilton  as  Chairman  and  William  Howe  Tolman 
as  Secretary  of  a  Sub-committee  on  baths  and  Lavatories,  in  ac- 
cordance with  this  plank  in  the  platform  of  the  main  Com- 
mittee : 


BATHS    AND    COMFOIIT    STATIONS. 


23 


"We  favor  the  cstablishnicnt  of  aclequate  Public  Baths  and 
Lavatories  for  the  promotion  of  cleanhncss  and  increased  pubHc 
comfort  at  appropriate  places  throughout  the  city." 

The  Committee  at  once  put  itself  into  com- 
munication with  the  civic  authorities  in  the  leading  English  and 
American  cities,  in  order  to  avail  itself  of  the  experience  of  the 
last  few  years.  There  was  very  little  to  be  gained  from  Amer- 
ican experience,  hence  the  Committee  was  obliged  to  commence 
from  the  beginning.  As  the  subject  entrusted  to  the  care  of 
the  sub-committee  was  so  important,  it  was  decided  to  issue  a 
preliminary  report,  in  order  that  the  community  might  have  mate- 
rial for  consideration,  looking  towards  the  formation  of  sound  opin- 
ion.   The  Committee,  therefore,  reported  as  follows : 

"Regarding  Public  Baths  the  Committee  would  recommend: 

"i.  That  Messrs.  J.  C.  Cady  &  Co.,  the  architects  of  the  Peo- 
ple's Baths,  which  have  proved  so  eminently  successful,  be  re- 
quested to  submit  a  plan  for  a  bath-house,  to  be  built  on  an  ordi- 
nary city  lot,  25  feet  by  100  feet,  and  to  have  two  stories  suitable  for 
at  least  forty  baths,  twenty  on  each  floor,  in  addition  to  spray  baths 
for  children  in  the  basement.  The  baths  on  the  street  level  to  be 
arranged  for  men ;  those  on  the  second  floor  for  women. 

"2.  That  the  Spray  or  Rain  Water  System  of  baths  be  adopted, 
because,  primarily,  there  is  no  waste  of  water;  and,  in  the  second 
place,  the  cost  of  erection  is  very  moderate;  and,  lastly,  it  is  charac- 
terized by  cleanliness  and  simplicity. 

"3.  Bath-houses  at  a  moderate  cost  should  be  erected  in  close 
proximity  to  those  requiring  them,  rather  than  the  erection  of  two 
or  three  great  bathing  institutions  costing  large  sums  of 
money. 

"4.  That  the  bath-houses  should  contain  proper  and  requisite 
divisions  for  the  use  of  the  cleanly  and  of  those  not  clean ;  and  that 
each  should  contain  some  system  for  fumigating  clothes  when  nec- 
essary. 

"5.  That  such  public  schools,  where  it  may  be  practicable, 
should  be  equipped  in  the  basement  with  baths  similar  to  those 
in  the  Hebrew  Sheltering  Guardian  Asylum,  with  requisite  divis- 
ions for  women.  This  can  be  done  at  a  ver}'  small  outlay,  because 
the  boilers  already  in  use  for  heating  the  building  will  usually  suf- 
fice to  heat  the  water  for  an  800-gallon  tank.  There  baths  could  be 
used  by  the  women  during  tlie  school  hours  and  by  the  school  chil- 
dren after  school  hours  and  on  Saturdays,  and  would  in  no  way 
interfere  with  the  usefulness  of  the  school  buildings. 


Civic 
Authori- 
ties. 


Successful 
Architects. 


Simplicity. 


2i 


MAYORS    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 


Sites. 


Operating 
ExpenseA. 


Mayor 
Informed. 


"6.    That  the  following  six  sites  for  public  baths  be  chosen: 

"(a)    The  vicinity  of  Washington  and  Carlisle  Streets. 

"(b)    The  vicinity  of  Chatham  Square. 

"(c)    The  vicinity  of  Essex  Market. 

"(d)    The  vicinity  of  Tompkins  Square. 

"(e)  The  vicinity  of  Fifty-eighth  Street  and  Eleventh 

Avenue. 
"(f)    The  vicinity  of  One  Hundred  and  Tenth  Street  and 
Second  Avenue. 
"This  number  of  houses  will  give  bathing  facilities  for  hot  water 
baths  for  at  least  15,000  people  daily. 

"7.  That  in  the  tenement  house  district,  public  wash-houses  be 
opened  in  connection  with  the  baths,  thereby  relieving  many  homes 
of  one  and  two  rooms  of  the  unhealthy  conditions  of  laundry 
work. 

"Regarding  both  baths  and  public  comfort  stations  the  Com- 
mittee would  recommend: 

"i.  That  a  certain  part  of  each  bath  and  station  should  be  free^ 
in  order  that  necessitous  cases  may  be  relieved ;  for  the  remaining 
part,  a  /ee  should  be  charged,  which  sum,  will  contribute  toward 
the  operating  expenses,  and  will  enable  the  patrons  of  the  establish- 
ment to  retain  their  self-respect. 

"2.  That  the  baths  and  water  closets  shall  be  in  charge  of  a 
sufficient  number  of  paid  attendants. 

"3.  That  the  baths  and  water  closets  should  be  under  the  juris- 
diction of  the  Health  Department,  under  a  department  to  be  known 
as  the  'Bureau  of  Public  Comfort.' " 

This  report*  was  received  by  the  Com- 
mittee of  Seventy,  who  ordered  an  edition  of  2,500,  and  entered  a 
formal  minute  expressive  of  its  appreciation  of  this  careful 
study. 

On  the  formal  disbandment  of  the  Com- 
mittee of  Seventy,  the  existence  of  the  sub-committee  likewise  came 
to  an  end.  he  gentlemen  who  had  been  associated  on  the  Sub- 
committee of  Baths  and  Lavatories  had  given  the  matter  such  care- 
ful thought  and  had  become  so  deeply  impressed  with  the  impera- 
tive need  of  these  necessities  and  conveniences  for  the  city,  that  it 
was  decided  to  inform  the  Mayor  of  the  studies  of  the  Committee 
up  to  that  date  and  place  them  at  his  disposal,  in  order  that  the  city 
might  have  the  advantage  of  them. 

*  Copies  of  this  preliminary  report  may  be  obtained  of  Wm.  H.  Tol- 
man,  Ph.  D.,  Secretary,  105  East  Twenty-second  Street,  New  York  City. 


BATHS    AND    COMFORT    STATIONS.  25 

When  this  action  was  taken  the  followinj^ 
communication  was  received: 

"City  of  New  York,  Office  of  the  Mayor, 
"June  25,  1895. 
"William  Howe  Tohnan,  Esq.,  Ph.  D., 

427  West  Fifty-seventh  Street,  New  York  City. 
"Dear  Sir:— 

"The  Mayor  directs  nie  to  ask  you  if  you  cannot  call 
togelher  the  members  of  the  sub-committee  of  the  late  Committee 
of  Seventy,  on  Baths  and  Lavatories,  to  wit:  Mr.  Archibald,  Dr. 
Moreaa  Morris  and  Mr.  Hamilton,  if  he  is  not  now  in  Europe,  with 
a  view  to  continuing  investigations  regarding  baths  and  lavatories, 
and  to  see  if  some  means  cannot  be  devised  for  erecting  and  trying 
at  once  some  of  the  recommendations  of  that  Committee. 

"Very  respectfully, 

"(Signed)   JOB  E.  HEDGES." 
This   request  was  complied  with,  on  ac- 
count of  the  evidence  of  the  Mayor's  interest  in  the  scope  of  the 
Committee's  work,  and  his  recognition  of  its  services  in  behalf  of     Re-organi- 
the  city.    A  reorganization  of  the  sub-committee  resulted  in  the     ^*"on. 
choice  of  William  Gaston  Hamilton,  Chairman;  Moreau  Morris, 
Vice-Chairman,  and  William  Howe  Tolman,  Secretary,  under  the 
title,  suggested  by  the  Mayor,  "Mayor's  Committee  on  Baths  and 
Comfort  Stations." 


CHAPTER  III. 


Civic 

Renai£- 

sance. 


Private 
Enterprise! 


BATH  LEGISLATION  REGARDING  NEW  YORK  CITY  SINCE  1800. 

In  a  summary  of  the  legislation  regard- 
ing baths  in  New  York  City,  it  should  be  stated  that  the  conditions 
are  not  peculiar  to  that  municipality  alone,  because  the  provision 
of  free  public  baths,  with  hot  and  cold  water,  open  the  year  round, 
has  not  been  deemed  imperative  by  our  American  municipalities, 
but  the  subject  has  been  forcing  itself  to  the  front  in  recent  months. 
This  has  been  in  response  to  what  may  be  called  the  new  social 
spirit  or  the  civic  renaissance,  whereby  the  claims  of  life  are  given 
precedence  over  those  of  property;  in  accord  with  the  idea  that  our 
cities  must  be  more  of  a  home  for  all  the  members  of  the  body 
politic.    One  essential  of  the  ideal  home  is  a  bathroom. 

While  the  English  Baths  and  Washhouses 
Act  dates  from  1846,  it  was  not  until  1849  ^^at  any  provision  was 
made  by  law  in  this  State  for  public  baths.  The  difference  between 
English  and  American  conditions  is  illustrated  by  the  fact,  that 
while  in  England  the  municipality  was  to  undertake  to  provide  pub- 
lic baths,  in  New  York  it  was  left  tO'  private  enterprise.  An  act 
(Ch.  409)  was  passed  on  April  1 1,  1849,  by  which  an  association  was 
incorporated,  under  the  name  of  the  People's  Bathing  and  Wash- 
ing Association,  "for  the  purpose  of  supplying  facilities  to  the  peo- 
ple of  the  city  of  New  York  in  regard  to  bathing  and  washing.'^ 
Power  was  given  to  erect  buildings  and  fix  a  scale  of  charges,  and 
the  corporation  was  permitted  to  hold  property  to  the  value  of 
$20,000.  The  capital  stock  was  not  to  exceed  $20,000,  in  shares  of 
$100  each,  and  the  act  was  to  continue  in  force  twenty-one  years. 
The  Association  was  composed  of  managers  of  the  New  York  As- 
sociation for  Improving  the  Condition  of  the  Poor.  A  building 
was  put  up  on  Mott  Street  at  an  expense  of  $42,000,  the  law  being 
amended  in  1853  to  permit  the  Association  to  hold  property  to  the 
value  of  $42,000,  and  the  capital  stock  was  increased  to  $30,000. 
The  institution  combined  every  convenience  for  bathing,  washing 
and  ironing  at  charges  so  low  as  to  bring  its  benefits  within  the 
reach  of  all,  and  it  was  hoped  that  it  would  be  so  appreciated  as 
greatly  to  contribute  to  the  health,  comfort,  and  cleanliness  of  the 
classes  for  whom  it  was  designed.  Being  the  first  of  the  kind 
erected  in  the  country  the  enterprise  was  an  experiment.  An  aver- 
age of  about  75,000  persons  yearly  availed,  themselves  of  its  ad- 


I'.A'rii   i.E(;iwLA'ri(>N  si.nck  isih). 


27 


vantages.  A  few  years'  experience,  however,  showed  tliat  the  en- 
terprise was  too  far  in  advance  <>i  the  habits  of  the  people  whose 
advantage  was  songht  t(j  be  appreciated  l)y  them,  and  lience  it  failed 
through  insufficient  patronage. 

May  9th,  1867,  an  act  (Ch.  842;  was  passed 
to  incorporate  "Tlie  Metropolitan  T'.athing  Association  in  the  City 
of  New  York." 

The  association  was  authorized  to  build 
and  construct  bathing  houses  or  floating  baths  in  the  City  of  New 
York  in  the  East  River,  North  River  and  Harlem  River  so  as  to  pro- 
vide public  baths.  It  could  prescribe  rates  not  to  exceed  twenty-five 
cents  for  each  person  for  each  bath.  The  capital  was  to  be  $100,000 
in  shares  of  $100,  but  might  be  increased  by  a  two-thirds  vote  of  the 
shareholders  to  $500,000.  The  association  could  purchase,  lease, 
take  and  hold  real  estate  necessary  for  its  use  fronting  on  rivers 
and  erect  either  floating  baths  or  brick  or  stone  buildings,  the  latter 
to  conform  to  the  building  laws  of  New  York  City. 

The  Board  of  Health  in  its  annual  report 
for  1866  pleaded  for  the  establishment  of  free  public  baths  and  wash- 
houses  as  a  sanitary  measure.  It  said  that  "the  fact  that  the 
bath  and  washhouse  which  the  generous  and  practical  philanthropy 
of  the  late  Mr.  Robert  B.  Minturn  and  his  associates  established 
did  not  become  a  remunerative  enterprise  need  not  deter  the  public 
from  organizing  and  maintaining  such  sanitary  establishments. 
The  only  question  is,  'Can  a  system  of  public  baths  be  so  adminis- 
tered as  to  insure  the  attainment  of  their  object,  viz,  to  bathe  the 
people  who  most  need  to  bathe,  and  at  the  same  time  not  incur  an 
unwarrantable  expense  to  the  municipal  government?' " 

In  1868  (Ch.  879)  the  Mayor,  Aldermen 
and  commonalty  of  New  York  City  were  authorized  and  em- 
powered to  retain  a  slip  or  basin  not  exceeding  two  hundred  feet 
in  front  at  the  easterly  end  of  the  Batter}^  in  New  York,  adjoining 
the  United  States  property  on  the  westerly  side,  and  to  lease  it  for 
a  public  salt  water  floating  bath.  They  were  also  authorized  and 
directed  to  erect  two  free  floating  baths,  one  on  the  East  River,  and 
one  on  the  Hudson  River,  and  to  provide  the  requisite  attendance 
therefor.  These  baths  were  to  be  free  and  the  Common  Council 
was  to  prescribe  the  regulations. 

Two  floating  baths,  the  first  in  the  city, 
were  erected  in  1870  in  compliance  with  the  requirements  of  this  act. 
The  Board  of  Health  reported  that  the  universal  patronage  re- 
ceived and  the  approval  met  with  on  every  hand  warranted  the 


Ahead 
of  the 
Times 


Pleading 
for  Baths. 


Floating 
Baths. 


2S 


MAiOK'S    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 


Melan- 
choly 
Contrast. 


Satire. 


hope  that  the  city  would  ere  long  afford  proper  facilities  for  all 
who  desired  to  observe  that  most  essential  of  hygienic  laws — to 
keep  cleansed.  In  1871  attention  was  called  to  the  necessity  for 
some  easily  managed  form  of  bathroom  in  each  tenement  house 
which  would  render  unnecessary  the  resort  to  the  free  baths  upon 
the  riverside,  and  provide  a  much  cleaner  and  less  dangerous  means 
of  purifying  the  body  than  the  necessity  of  bathing  in  the  sewer- 
polluted  rivers.  It  was  said  that  the  utility  of  the  baths  as  a  sani- 
tary measure  was  more  than  questionable.  The  water  should  be 
taken  from  the  center  of  the  rivers  by  mechanical  means  or  from  the 
Croton  supply,  so  that  no  sewer  impurities  would  be  in  the  least  in- 
termixed. But  the  Board  of  Health  recommended  warm  baths  as 
a  means  of  reducing  the  death  rate  and  said,  "What  a  melancholy 
contrast  to  such  enlightened  public  zeal  (as  Rome  showed  by  its 
numerous  public  baths)  in  behalf  of  the  health  of  its  people  does 
New  York  present?  Surrounded  by  water  which  can  be  readily 
utilized,  with  a  population  half  of  which  at  least  never  bathe  for 
want  of  facilities,  this  city  has  but  two  public  baths."  It  was  no 
argument  that  there  was  no  popular  appreciation  of  public  baths, 
for  Boston's  were  well  patronized.  Baths  should  not  be  confined 
to  the  river  front,  but  should  be  distributed  over  the  entire  city,  with 
suitable  isolation  for  the  sexes.  In  1872  it  was  admitted  that 
grave  objection  had  been  made  to  the  baths,  but  it  was  thought  that 
the  responsibility  lay  with  the  location  of  the  bath  or  the  impru- 
dence of  the  frequenters.  In  1873  Sanitary  Inspector  Stuyvesant 
F.  Morris  could  not  say  the  public  baths  were  more  used,  because 
that  was  impossible.  He  said:  "What  a  satire  it  is  upon  this  city 
with  its  million  of  inhabitants  that  there  are  but  two  small  public 
baths.  Still,  as  this  seems  to  be  the  era  of  reform,  retrenchment  is 
of  far  more  importance  than  cleanliness  and  health.  So  the  great 
unwashed  must  remain  unwashed,  to  the  great  detriment  of  their 
health,  and  consequently  that  of  the  city."  In  the  same  report 
Sanitary  Inspector  J.  D.  Bryant  urged  that  the  number  of  public 
baths  should  be  largely  increased  in  all  parts  of  the  city. 

As  a  result  of  this,  in  1874  four  more  float- 
ing baths  were  authorized  by  law,  and  it  was  ordered  that  they 
should  be  under  the  exclusive  control  and  management  of  the  De- 
partment of  Public  Works.  A  sum  of  money  not  exceeding 
$80,000  was  to  be  raised  by  bonds  payable  in  1875,  and  the  Depart- 
ment of  Docks  was  to  assign  convenient  locations. 

The  Board  of  Health  report  dated  January 
I,  1876,  called  attention  to  the  necessity  for  a  large  increase  in  the 


j'.ATii   i.i<:(;i.si.A'rio.\  sincjo  isoo.  29 

miiulxT  (j[  baths,  i\\v  inijioilaiicc  of  which  could  not  be  overesti- 
mated. 

Chapter  169,  Laws  of  1876,  passed  April 
22,  repeated  the  law  of  1874,  except  that  the  expenditure  was  not  to 
exceed  $60,000  and  tlu  bonds  were  to  be  paifl  from  the  taxes  for 

.1877. 

During  the  follr)wing  sunmier  these  four 

additional  floatin_c^  ])aths  were  placed.     In  the  same  year  (Chapter 

46)  Brooklyn  was  authorized  to  build  two  or  more  public  baths, 

on  which  $25,000  might  be  expended.    This  sum  was  to  be  raised 

by  bonds  payable  in  1877,  and  bearing-  interest  at  the  rate  of  7  per 

cent.    The  annual  allowance  for  maintenance  was  placed  at  $3,000. 

In    1879    the    Commissioner    of    Public 
Works  was  authorized  to  construct  an  additional  Free  Floating      ^ore 
Bath  at  a  cost  not  exceeding  that  of  one  of  the  baths  already  in  ex-      Baths. 
istence.    This  bath  was  to  be  located  during  the  summer  at  Seven- 
teenth Street  and  the  East  River.    During  1879  the  Department  of 
Public  Works  erected  two  more  baths. 

In  1 88 1  an  additional  Free  Floating  Bath 
W/is  authorized,  to  be  located  in  the  Fifth  Ward. 

In  1882  the  laws  relating  to  public  needs 
in  the  City  of  New  York  were  consolidated,  and  the  acts  already 
mentioned  were  summarized  in  Section  346,  Chapter  410.  This 
provided  for  nine  free  floating  baths,  one  of  which  should  be  located 
on  the  East  River,  one  on  the  Hudson  River,  one  at  Seventeenth 
Street  and  the' East  River,  one  in  the  Fifth  Ward,  and  the  remainder 
at  places  designated  by  the  Commissioner  of  Public  Works.  In  the 
summer  following,  one  more  bath  w^as  erected,  making  a  total  of 
nine,  the  limit  provided  for  by  the  law. 

In  1883  ^^^  3^ct  was  passed  providing  for 
four  new  floating  baths  at  such  expense  as  should  be  necessary. 
When  these  baths  were  ready  for  use,  the  Commissioner  of  Public 
Works  was  to  sell  two  of  the  older  free  floating  baths,  the  proceeds 
to  go  to  the  general  fund.  The  new  baths  were  to  be  located  at  Public 
available  places.  These  new  baths  were  built  during  the  following  Need*. 
summer. 

In  1888  two  acts  providing  for  new  baths 
were  passed.  The  first  bath,  the  cost  of  which  was  not  to  exceed 
that  of  one  of  the  present  baths,  was  to  be  opened  by  Augfust  ist, 
and  to  be  located  in  the  East  River  between  Fift\--ninth  and 
Seventy-ninth  Streets,  and  the  other  bath  was  to  be  located  on  the 
Hudson  between  One  Hundred  and  Twentv-Eighth  and  One  Hun- 


30 


MAYOR'S    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 


dred  and  Thirtieth  Streets,  and  the  Commissioner  of  PubUc  Works 
might  expend  on  it  such  amount  as  was  necessary.  Two  more 
baths  were  built  and  placed  during  the  summer,  making  fifteen,  the 
number  now  in  use. 

In  1889  an  act  amending  Section  346  of 
the  Consolidation  Act  of  1882  was  passed,  which  provided  that 
from  that  date  the  Board  of  Estimate  and  Apportionment  should 
determine  on  the  number  of  baths  necessary  for  the  city,  and  make 
appropriation  for  them.  The  Commissioner  of  Public  Works 
should  then  cause  them  to  be  constructed.  Up  to  the  present  time 
no  advantage  has  been  taken  .of  this  act,  and  the  number  remains  the 
same  as  in  1888. 

The  first  provision  for  municipal  baths, 
such  as  had  existed  in  England  since  1850,  was  made  in  1889. 
Chapter  452  provided  for  a  Board  of  Commissioners,  to  be  known 
as  the  Municipal  Bathhouse  Commissioners,  and  to  be  composed  of 
the  Mayor  of  the  city,  the  Recorder,  the  President  of  the  Depart- 
ment of  Charities  and  Corrections  and  the  Commissioner  of  Public 
Works.  On  the  authority  of  the  Board  of  Estimate  and  Appor- 
tionment these  Commissioners  were  to  provide  plans  and  specifi- 
cations for  public  bathhouses,  containing  hot  and  cold  water  baths, 
adapted  to  the  different  seasons  of  the  year,  and  to  be  situated  in 
the  Second  Assembly  District.  Plans  were  to  be  offered  for  com- 
petition at  such  premium  as  the  Commissioners  should  see  fit.  The 
whole  expense  of  erecting,  furnishing  and  equipping  these  baths 
was  not  to  exceed  $75,000.  The  Department  of  Public  Works  was 
to  have  exclusive  control  and  power  and  the  Board  of  Estimate  and 
Apportionment  was  to  provide  annually  for  their  maintenance. 
The  baths  were  to  be  opened  for  men  one  day,  and  for  women  alter- 
nate days.  No  charge  was  to  be  made  for  the  use  of  the  baths, 
and  towels  or  other  drying  facilities  were  to  be  provided  free. 

No  attempt  was  made  to  carry  out  the  pro- 
visions of  this  act,  as  there  was  no  special  interest  in  the  matter  on 
the  part  of  the  city  authorities. 

In  May,  1892,  an  act  of  more  general  ap- 
plication was  passed.  This  gave  permission  to  any  city,  village  or 
town  to  establish  free  public  baths,  and  to  loan  its  credit  or  make  ap- 
propriations from  its  funds  for  that  purpose. 

The  present  Committee,  on  taking  up  the 
matter  of  public  baths,  decided  to  get  legislative  authority  before 
proceeding  in  the  matter.  As  a  result,  the  law  of  April  18,  1895, 
was  passed.    It  amends  chapter  473,  the  law  last  mentioned,  making 


BATH.  LEGISLATION    SINCE    IHOO. 


31 


its   provisions   niand.-itory,   and    the    amended    law   reads   as    fol- 
lows: 

"Section  i.  All  cities  of  tiie  first  and  second  class  shall  establish 
and  maintain  such  number  of  free  public  baths  as  the  local  Board 
of  Health  may  deem  to  be  necessary.  Each  bath  shall  be  kept  open 
not  less  than  fourteen  hours  for  each  day  and  both  hot  anrl  cold 
water  shall  be  provided.  The  erection  and  maintenance  of  river 
or  ocean  baths  shall  not  be  deemed  a  compliance  with  this  section. 
Any  city,  village  or  town  having  less  than  fifty  thousand  inhabi- 
tants may  establish  and  maintain  free  public  baths,  and  any  city, 
village  or  town  may  loan  its  credit  or  may  appropriate  of  its  funds 
for  the  purpose  of  establishing  such  free  public  baths. 
"Section  2.    This  act  shall  take  effect  immediately." 

In  the  last  session  of  the  Legislature  the 
following  law  was  passed : 

"CHAPTER  122. 
"AN  ACT  to  provide  for  the  construction  in  the  City  of  New  York 

of  certain  buildings  for  the  promotion  of  public  health  and 

comfort. 

■'Accepted  by  the  city, 
"Became  a  law  March  25,  1896,  with  the  approval  of  the  Governor. 

"Passed,  three-fifths  being  present. 
"The  People  of  the  State  of  New  York,  represented  in  Senate  and 

Assembly,  do  enact  as  follows : 
"Section  i.  The  Commissioner  of  Public  Works  in  the  City  of 
New  York,  with  the  consent  and  approval  of  the  Board  of  Estimate 
and  Apportionment  of  said  city,  expressed  as  hereinafter  provided, 
is  hereby  authorized  and  empowered  to  erect  such  and  so  many 
buildings  for  free  public  baths  and  such  and  so  many  structures  for 
the  promotion  of  public  comfort  within  said  city  of  New  York  as 
in  the  opinion  of  said  Commissioner  of  Public  Works  and  of  said 
Board  of  Estimate  and  Apportionment  shall  be  necessar}^  and 
proper. 

"Section  2.  Before  proceeding  to  erect  or  construct  any  build- 
ing or  structure  as  authorized  by  the  last  preceding  section  the  said 
Commissioner  of  Public  Works  may,  from  time  to  time,  present 
to  the  said  Board  of  Estimate  and  Apportionment  a  statement  of 
any  work  proposed  to  be  done,  with  plans  and  specifications  there- 
for, and  an  estimate  of  the  proximate  probable  cost  therefor,  where- 
upon the  said  Board  of  Estimate  and  Apportionment  may,  by  reso- 
lution, authorize  said  work  to  be  done  wholly  or  in  part,  and  may 
approve  of  the  plans  and  specifications  therefor,  or  may  return  the 


Immediate 
Action. 


Sanction 
of  the 
Board. 


32 


MAYOR'S    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 


Public 
Letting. 


Baths  in 
Parks. 


same  to  said  Commissioner  of  Public  Works  for  modification  or 
alteration,  whereupon  said  Commissioner  of  Public  Works  shall 
resubmit  said  plans  and  specifications,  and  after  having  modified 
or  altered  the  same  shall  again  submit  them  to  said  Board  of  Esti- 
mate and  Apportionment,  who  may  then  approve  the  same  or  again 
return  them  to  the  said  Commissioner  of  Public  Works  for  further 
modification  or  alteration,  and  said  plans  and  specifications  may  be 
so  returned  to  said  Commissioner  of  Public  Works  and  resubmitted 
to  said  Board  of  Estimate  and  Apportionment  until  the  said  Board 
of  Estimate  and  Apportionment  shall,  by  resolution,  approve  said 
plans  and  specifications  and  authorize  the  work  to  be  proceeded 
with  accordingly. 

"Section  3.  When  any  work  provided  for  by  this  act  shall  have 
been  authorized  and  the  plans  and  specifications  therefor  approved 
by  the  Board  of  Estimate  and  Apportionment,  the  said  Commis- 
sioner of  Public  Works  shall  proceed  to  execute  and  carry  out  said 
work,  which  shall  be  done  by  contract,  made  at  public  letting  to  the 
lowest  bidder,  pursuant  to  the  general  provisions  of  law  and  ordin- 
ances regulating  the  letting,  execution  and  performance  of  public 
contracts  in  the  City  of  New  York.  The  Commissioner  of  Public 
Works,  with  the  approval  of  the  Board  of  Estimate  and  Apportion- 
ment first  had  and  obtained,  is  hereby  authorized  and  empowered, 
with  the  consent  in  writing  of  the  contractor  and  his  sureties,  to 
alter  any  plans,  and  the  terms  and  specifications  of  any  contract 
entered  into  by  authority  of  this  act,  provided  that  such  alteration 
shall  in  no  case  involve  or  require  an  increased  expense  greater 
than  five  per  centum  of  the  whole  expenditure  provided  for  in  said 
contract. 

"Section  4.  The  Commissioner  of  Public  Works  is  authorized 
and  empowered,  with  the  consent  and  approval  of  the  Board  of  Es- 
timate and  Apportionment,  to  locate  any  or  all  of  the  structures 
for  the  promotion  of  public  comfort  to  be  erected  under  the  au- 
thority of  this  act  to  be  so  erected  in  any  public  park  of  the  City  of 
New  York,  and  for  that  purpose  the  Commissioner  of  Public  Parks 
shall  permit  the  said  Commissioner  of  Public  Works,  his  officers 
and  agents  and  the  contractors  to  enter  upon  said  park  or  parks  and 
therein  to  perform  the  work  so  authorized.  Any  such  structure 
which  may  be  erected  in  any  public  park  of  said  city  shall,  after  its 
erection  and  completion,  be  under  the  care,  custody  and  control  of 
the  Department  of  Public  Parks  in  said  city,  who  are  hereby  au- 
thorized and  empowered  to  make  proper  and  necessary  rules  for  the 
use  and  management  thereof. 


BATH  LE(;itiLAT10N  SINCE  1800.  88 

"Section  5.  For  tlic  pnqjosc  of  carrying  out  the  work  authorized 
by  this  act,  inchiding  conii)cnsation  of  any  architect  or  architects 
employed  by  said  Commissioner  of  Public  Works  to  prepare  plans  pj^ng 
and  specifications  and  to  supervise  the  work  done  thereunder,  and 
of  any  architect  employed  by  the  IJoard  of  Estimate  and  Apportion- 
ment to  examine  any  plans  and  specifications,  and  including  also 
the  cost  of  such  furniture  and  fixtures  for  any  building  hereby 
authorized  as  shall  be  approved  and  consented  to  by  the  Board  of 
Estimate  and  Apportionment,  the  Comptroller  of  the  City  of  New 
York  is  hereby  directed,  from  time  to  time,  when  thereto  directed 
by  the  Board  of  Estimate  and  Apportionment,  to  issue  consolidated 
stock  of  the  City  of  New  York  in  the  manner  now  provided  by  law 
to  an  amount  not  exceeding  in  the  aggregate  the  sum  of  two  hun- 
dred thousand  dollars. 

"Section  6.    This  act  shall  take  effect  immediately. 
"State  of  New  York, 
"Office  of  the  Secretary  of  State.  \ 

"1  have  compared  the  preceding  with  the  original  law  on  file  in 
this  office,  and  do  hereby  certify  that  the  same  is  a  correct  transcript 
therefrom  and  of  the  whole  of  said  original  law. 

(Signed)  JOHN  PALMER, 

"Secretary  of  State." 

After  it  was  decided  not  to  locate  the  first 
bath  in  Tompkins  Square,  another  site  was  necessar}'.  It  will  be 
noted  that  it  will  now  be  situated  in  the  new  East  Side  Park. 

The  matter  of  locating  an  additional  public 
park  on  the  east  side  of  the  city  was  taken  up  at  a  meeting  of  the 
Board  of  Street  Opening  and  Improvement  on  June  5th,  1896,  and, 
after  much  discussion,  the  President  of  the  Department  of  Public 
Parks  offered  the  following  resolution: 

"Resolved,  That  the  Board  of  Street  Opening  and  Improve- 
ment, in  pursuance  of  the  provisions  of  Chapter  293  of  the  Laws  of 
1895,  and  of  Chapter  320  of  the  Laws  of  1887,  proposes  to  select,  lo- 
cate and  lay  out  as  a  public  park  the  block  bounded  by  Jefferson 
Street,  East  Broadway,  Canal  and  Division  Streets,  and  also  the 
Block  bounded  by  Division,  Essex,  Hester  and  Norfolk  Streets,  preseo' 
and  also  the  block  bounded  by  Norfolk,  Hester,  Suffolk  and  Divis-  status, 
ion  Streets,  in  the  City  of  New  York ;  and  that  such  portion  of  Nor- 
folk Street  running  from  Hester  to  Division  Streets  be  closed  and 
thrown  into  such  public  park,  and  that  Jefferson  Street  be  opened 
and  extended  through  the  block  bounded  bv  Di\'ision.  Hester. 


34  MAYOR'S    COxMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 

Suffolk  and  Norfolk  Streets  so  as  to  connect  with  Norfolk  Street  on 
the  north  side  of  Hester  Street;  and  that  the  Department  of  Public 
Parks  be  requested  to  set  apart  for  a  public  bath  the  easterly  end  of 
the  block  bounded  by  Suffolk,  Hester,  Division  and  Norfolk 
Streets." 


CHAPTER  IV. 


PUBLIC  BATHS  OV   NEW  YUKK. 


The  first  provision  for  free  public  baths 
was  made  in  1870  by  the  erection  of  two  floating  baths. 

There  are  now  fifteen  floating  baths, 
berthed  at  convenient  locations  from  the  Battery  to  One  Hundred 
and  Thirty-fourth  Street,  on  the  North  River,  and  from  Market 
Slip,  on  the  East  River.  The  baths  are  usually  open  from  the  mid- 
dle of  June  to  October  ist.  They  are  open  daily  from  5  A.  M.  to 
9  P.  M.,  except  Sundays,  when  they  are  closed  at  noon.  Mon- 
days, Wednesdays  and  Fridays  are  set  apart  for  women  and  chil- 
dren, the  remainder  of  the  week  being  for  males.  There  is  absolutely 
no  charge  for  admission  to  the  baths.  All  bathers  excepting  chil- 
dren are  required  to  furnish  themselves  with  bathing  dresses,  and, 
to  avoid  infection,  no  towels  or  other  toilet  articles  can  be  hired  at 
the  baths.  Two  male  attendants  are  in  charge  of  each  bath  on  the 
days  set  apart  for  males,  and  two  female  attendants  on  the  other 
days.  A  male  guard  at  each  bath  on  women's  days,  a  policeman  to 
keep  order,  and  a  keeper  at  each  bath  at  night  are  also  employed. 
Each  bath  has  an  average  of  sixty-three  dressing  rooms,  a  reception 
toilet  and  retiring  room,  and  is  lighted  by  gas.  The  baths  have 
a  supply  of  ice  water  and  are  thoroughl}^  swept,  scoured  and  washed 
down  nightly.  At  the  end  of  each  bathing  season  the  baths  are 
thoroughly  repaired,  painted  and  cleaned. 

The  average  cost  of  construction  and 
equipment  of  each  bath  is  $13,000,  and  the  annual  cost  of  mainte- 
nance and  repairs  for  the  fifteen  baths  is  $48,000,  including  $30,000 
for  the  salaries  of  attendants. 

The  baths  are  located  as  conveniently  as 
possible  to  crowded  tenement  house  districts.  The  berths  are  as- 
signed by  the  Department  of  Docks,  and  before  the  baths  are 
placed  the  Health  Department  makes  an  examination  to  ascertain 
if  the  sanitary  condition  of  the  location  is  good. 

William  Brookfield,  Commissioner  of 
Public  Works,  wrote  the  Committee,  under  date  of  June  19,  1895, 
that  more  floating  baths  could  be  used  advantageously,  if  berths 
could  be  obtained  for  them  at  places  where  they  are  most  needed. 


Male 
Quard. 


Location 
of  Baths. 


3U 


MAIOKS    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 


For  the  season  of  1896,  which  lasted  from 
June  20th  to  October  loth,  the  number  of  bathers  was  as  follows: 


Week  Ending 


Males. 


Females 


Total. 


June 
July 


Aug. 


Sept. 


Oct. 


4. 
11. 
18. 
25. 

1. 

S. 
15. 
22. 
29. 

5. 
12. 
19. 
26. 

3. 
10. 


51,285 

70,074 

172.247 

235,659 

343,898 

378,297 

440,166 

508,796 

575,244 

360,808 

261,335 

216,248 

134,967 

81,889 

50,313 

14,529 


8,494 

18,406 

60.354 

68,049 

98,155 

203,515 

238,253 

246,924 

253,580 

140,235 

102,507 

96,178 

82,591 

22,218 

13,173 

5,511 


59,779 
88,480 
232,601 
303,708 
442,053 
581,812 
678,419 
755,720 
828,824 
501,043 
363,842 
312,426 
217,558 
104,107 
63,486 
20,040 


Total   I    3,895,755 


1,658,143 


5,553,898 


John 
Paton. 


While  it  is  true  that  there  are  in  New  York 
no  free  public  baths  except  the  floating  baths  in  the  summer,  yet 
there  are  opportunities  for  the  people  to  secure  cleansing  baths 
entirely  or  partly  free  of  cost,  but  these  opportunities  are  made 
possible  by  philanthropic  societies.  The  first  public  bath  in  the 
United  States  was  opened  in  New  York  City,  9  Centre  Market 
Place,  by  the  New  York  Association  for  Improving  the  Condition 
of  the  Poor.  The  remarkable  success  of  these  baths  was  due 
largely  to  the  great  interest  of  the  then  president  of  the  Association, 
John  Paton.    In  his  own  words: 

"The  only  free  baths  in  the  city  are  those  maintained  by  the 
Corporation,  and  consist  of  swimming  baths  in  the  harbor,  open 
during  the  hot  months.  It  is  only  necessary  to  glance  at  the  hun- 
dreds of  sewers  pouring  out  their  disgusting  streams  into  the  salt 
water  of  the  docks,  and  see  that  while  these  city  baths  may  afford 
amusement  and  pleasure  to  thousands  during  the  hot  season, 
the  water  is  always  impure  and  often  filthy  in  the  extreme.  Such 
bathing  is  not  cleansing,  and  it  may  be  doubted  if  it  is  not  often 
positively  unhealthy."* 

^T"  Deeply  impressed    with    the    belief    that 

cleanliness  of  person  is  not  only  elevating  in  its  effects  upon  the 
mind  and  morals,  but  also  necessary  to  health  and  to  the  warding 

*  Public  Baths,  by  John  Paton,  late  President  of  the  New  York 
Association  for  Improving  the  Condition  of  the  Poor.  Read  before  the 
Evangelical  Alliance  in  Chicago,  1893. 


Bath  Room  on  the  Floating  Hospital  of  the  St.  John's  Guild.  8,514  baths 
given  during  the  summer  of  1896.  The  bath  room  is  not  opened  till  the  barge 
is  in  the  pure  water  of  the  Lower  Bay. 


The  "  Ring,"  one  form  of  the  spray 
or  shower  bath,  at  the  People's  Bath. 


Tne  Pecpies  Baths.  9  Centre  Mar- 
ket Place,  under  the  care  of  the  New 
York  Association  for  Improving  the 
Condition  of  the  Poor. 


i'ui'.i.k;   baths  of  mow   yohk. 


(jII  of  disease,  the  New  York  Associati(jn  for  Improving  the  Condi- 
tion of  the  Poor  discussed  for  many  months  the  subject  of  public 
l)alhs. 

After  long  consideration  of  the  plans  in 
use  in  other  countries,  it  was  decided  to  try  the  spray  or  shower- 
bath  system  as  followed  in  Vienna.  This  is  simjjly  a  gentle  shower 
of  water,  the  temperature  and  force  easily  regulated  by  the  bather, 
the  water  at  once  running  off  into  the  sewers.  In  this  way  the  most 
perfect  cleanliness  is  insured,  and  all  risk  of  infection  or  communi- 
cation of  contagious  disease,  such  as  must  be  almost  inseparable 
from  the  use  of  the  ordinary  bathtub,  is  avoided.  Another  distinct 
advantage  of  this  spray  system  is  the  great  economy  of  water,  at 
least  six  persons  being  able  to  bathe  in  the  same  quantity  as  would 
suffice  for  one  tub  batli. 

"The  People's  Bath  House"  stands  in 
Centre  Market  Place,  near  Broome  Street,  in  the  midst  of  a  large 
tenement  house  district,  and  adjacent  to  an  industrial  center  where 
a  mechanical  and  laboring  population  of  a  cosmopolitan  character 
is  constantly  employed.  It  is  substantially  constructed  of  brick 
and  iron,  two  stories  in  height,  and  presents  an  attractive  appear- 
ance. The  walls  are  of  white  enamel  brick,  strong  iron  beams  sup- 
port the  floors,  the  roof  and  bathrooms  are  of  iron.  Brick,  cemen^^ 
and  slate  have  been  much  used  in  the  interior,  and  light-colored 
bricks  compose  a  facade  as  striking  as  it  is  ornamental.  The  build- " 
ing  is  set  ofif  by  many  cheerful  windows  and  an  expansive  arch 
spans  the  doorway.  The  sanitary  appliances  are  complete.  De- 
signed for  the  accommodation  of  both  sexes,  the  baths  on  the  main 
floor  are  equally  divided,  nine  spray  baths  being  allotted  to  each. 
There  is  one  general  entrance,  but  separate  waiting  rooms,  one  for 
men  and  the  other  for  women ;  from  these  each  in  turn  goes  to  the 
baths,  which  are  completely  shut  ofi  from  the  adjoining  compart- 
ments. In  the  rear  of  the  main  section  there  are  three  bathtubs, 
two  for  females  and  one  for  males,  the  former  principally  used  by 
mothers  with  young  children.  The  basement  contains  nine  spray 
baths.  They  are  all  reserv^ed  for  males  and  constructed  precisely 
similar  to  those  on  the  main  floor.  The  engine  is  especiallv  strong 
and  durable,  and  a  powerful  boiler  heats  the  water  for  the  whole 
building.  Croton  water  is  used  and  also  an  artesian  well,  sunk  Avith- 
in  the  building,  which  insures  a  full  supply,  never  failing  and  pure. 
Improved  laundr}^  machiner\-  and  ventilating  apparatus  are  also 
placed  in  the  basement,  and  all  towels  in  use  are  washed  upon  the 
premises.    Every  inch  of  space  is  economized.    The  whole  struc- 


Spray 
System. 


Industrial 

Centre. 


as 


MAYOR'S    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 


Solidity. 


American 
Housewife. 


ture  is  a  model  in  its  way  and  a  compact  embodiment  of  architec- 
tural and  mechanical  skill.    Solidity  is  its  great  characteristic  and 
la  glance  at  the  building  will  convince  any  one  that  it  is  certainly 
l^xyell  adapted  for  perennial  baths.    A  large  skylight  gives  light  to  the 
I  bathrooms  above,  there  is  gas  for  those  below,  and  the  most  im- 
i  proved  methods  of  sanitary  engineering  have  been  adopted  and 
skilfully  executed.    The  fine  appearance  of  the  exterior  is  matched 
by  the  comfort  and  attractiveness  manifested  within.     All  idea  of 
'  patronage  is  avoided  and  the  bathhouse  as  it  stands  is  both  an  orna- 
ment and  a  pride. 

A  bather  occupies  his  compartment  for 
twenty  minutes.  This  is  ample  time  for  a  comfortable  bath.  He  re- 
ceives a  towel  and  a  cake  of  soap  and  the  fee  of  the  bath  is  five  cents. 
A  mother  with  little  children  counts  as  one,  and  so  much  is  this 
privilege  appreciated  that  the  tubs  are  in  constant  use  the  year 
round. 

The  management  is  excellent.  Cleanli- 
!  ness  and  economy  are  strictly  observed,  and  an  atmosphere  of  com- 
fort pervades  the  establishment.  The  floors  and  walls  are  as  clean 
and  bright  as  the  kitchen  of  an  American  housewife,  and  the  brass 
work  shines  like  her  tins.  A  competent  matron  cares  for  the 
women.  A  man  of  experience  looks  after  the  men.  The  police 
/  authorities  have  kindly  detailed  an  officer  as  a  regular  attendant 
and  perfect  order  is  maintained. 

The  figures  for  the  period  since  then 
through  September,  1896,  show  a  wonderful  increase  in  the  number 
of  bathers  and  have  taxed  the  capacities  of  the  bath  to  the  utmost. 
The  facts  also  indicate  the  popular  demand  for  cleansing  baths.  If 
the  People's  Baths  were  twice  as  large,  they  could  be  operated  at  a 
profit,  but  with  their  present  capacity  there  is  a  debit  balance.  The 
following  data  summarize  the  facts  through  September,  1896. 

In  answer  to  the  numerous  inquiries,  the 
detailed  expenses  of  the  People's  Baths  for  the  fiscal  year  ending 
September  30,  1896,  are  submitted. 


PUBIvKJ    IJATJIS    OK    NKVV    YORK. 


89 


EXPENDlTUIlIliS 

FOR  I'EOl'LE'S  BATUS,  1895-1898. 

189B-9fi. 

Halarlos. 

Qaa. 

Fuel. 

InddenUb. 

Ibigineera' 
Supplies. 

October,  1895  . . 
NovetUiber    ...   . 

December 

Janua.ry,  189(!  . 

Febniiiry 

Mardli   

April    

May   

305 
;'.05 
305 
.•',05 
305 
305 
310 
310 
310 
310 
310 

'iflA  '87 
18  50 

34  62 
K!  25 

13  87 

14  50 
13  75 

15  12 

33  62 

'$72 "66 

"88  ,50 

(>8  6o 
72  (M) 
43  25 

'16266 

$S2  80 

.33   19 

50  m 

20  10 
26  55 

21  88 
2.3  :v) 
24  55 
40  32 
44  73 
52  90 
37  17 

$0  15 

2  75 



2  87 

4  75 

11  47 

8  73 

June 

July   

August 

September 

2  64 

11  30 

1  87 

4  33 

Totals 

$3,685 

$179  10 

$445  75 

$428  01 

$56  an 

1895-96. 

Soap. 

Repairs. 

Total 
Expenses. 

Total 
Receipts. 

October,  1895 

November 

$34  00 
"34'66 

"75  54 

'$26  .57 
"36 '36 

"42  66 
"2464 

$363  54 
359  81 
446  43 
348  54 
488  67 

384  18 
455  64 
471  78 
409  96 
405  19 
542  31 

385  12 

$226  60 
248  85 

December  

January,  1896 

February  

218  75 
200  15 
193  70 

March 

265  70 

April 

326  85 

May 

453  20 

June ~ 

537  65 

July 

681  20 

August 

649  60 

September 

389  70 

Totals 

$143  54 

$122  91 

$5,061  17 

$4,391  95 

Cost  of  operation  for  tlie  last  year  beyond  receipts   from 

bathers— Charge  fire  cents  for  bath $669.22 

Greatest  number  in  any  one  month  14,644 

Greatest  number  bathed  in  any  one  day 1,074 

Average  number  bathed  per  month  for  the  whole  period 6,531 

Average  number  bathed  per  day  for  the  whole  period 215 

Avera,ge  number  bathed  per  day  for  the  four  winter  months, 

1895-6  (closed  two  days  for  repairs) 153 

Receipts  from  bath-house $4,391  95 

Receipts  from  donations  34  02 

Total  receipts   $4,425  97 

Expenditures $5,061  17 

Debit  balance  $635  20 


NUMBER  OF  BATHERS  FROM  DATE  OF  OPENING  IN  1S91. 

THUS  DIVIDED. 

Men    295,387 

Women   54,462 

Children   .' 51,803 

Total    401,652 


40 


MAYORS    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 


NUMBER  OF  BATHERS.  AUGUST  17,  1891,  TO  SEPTEMBER  30.  1895, 


1891    1  Men   |Wm'n|  Chirn|  Total 

1591-2 

Men 

W'm'n 

Chil'n 

Total 

Aug.l7tO|             1             t             1 
Sept.  30|  5,188|  1,3011  4,015|10,504 

Feb 

March   .. 
April    . . . 
May   .... 
June  — 
July   .... 
Aug.     . . . 
Sept.    . . . 

1,878 
2,120 
3,098 
3,684 
6,482 
8,483 
6,216 
4,042 

161 

188 

359 

375 

1,421 

2,271 

1,477 

489 

318 

284 

460 

695 

1,723 

2,341 

1,420 

567 

2,357 
2,592 
3,917 

4.754 

1891-2       Men   [W'm'n 

Chil'n 

Total 

9,626 

OCL  '91..    1,721       246 
Nor.    ...    1,484       159 
Dec.    .  . .     1,845       164 

581 
311 
315 
243 

2,548 
1,954 
2,324 
2,062 

13,095 
9,113 
5,098 

Jan.   '92.    1,669       150 

Total   . 

42,722 

7,460 

9,258 

59,440 

1892-3 

Men 

W'm'n 

Chil'n 

Total 

1892-3 

Men 

W'm'n 

Chil'n 

Total 

Oct.    '92. 

3,603 

348 

385 

4,336 

May   

5,112 

553 

754 

6,419 

Nor.    . .  . 

2,256 

209 

230 

2,695 

June    . .  . 

7,159 

1,214 

1,356 

9,729 

Dec 

2,668 

212 

265 

3,145 

July   .... 

8,584 

1,986 

1,527 

12,097 

Jan.   '93. 

2,191 

195 

206 

2,592 

Aug.    . . . 

7,635 

1,992 

1,247 

10,874 

Feb 

2,167 
2,856 

194 
301 

209 
329 

2.570 
3,486 

Sept 

4,876 

721 

754 

7,738 

6,351 

March  . . 

Total  . 

52,624 

8,267 

68,629 

April    . . . 

3,517 

342 

476 

4,335 

1893-4 

Men 

W'm'n 

Chil'n 

Total 

1893-4 

Men 

W'm'n 

Chil'n 

Total 

Oct.    '93. 

4,076 

420 

609 

5,105 

May    .... 

5,649 

783 

943 

7,375 

Nor.    . .  . 

3,018 

292 

580 

3,890 

June    . .  . 

8,949 

2,163 

1,826 

12,938 

Dec 

3,238 

300 

527 

4,065 

July    .... 

8,768 

2.586 

1,488 

12,842 

Jan.   '94. 

2,899 

321 

485 

3,705 

Aug.    . .  . 

6,389 

1,716 

993 

9,098 

Feb 

2,712 
4,355 

281 
455 

362 
663 

3,355 
5,473 

Sept 

4,950 

868 

673 

6,491 

March   .. 

Total  . 

59,908 

10,757 

9,872 

80,537 

April    . . . 

4,905 

572 

723 

6,200 

1894-5 

Men 

W'm'n 

Chil'n 

Total 

Oct.    '94.. 

4,801 

752 

651 

6,204 

Nor.    . . . 

3,248 

432 

450 

4,130 

Dec 

3.516 

393 

514 

4,423 

Jan.    '95. 

2,352 

259 

377 

2,988 

Feb 

3,345 

288 

493 

4,126 

March  . . 

4.197 

446 

681 

5,324 

April    . . . 

4,824 

528 

758 

6,110 

1894-5 


May 

June 
July 
Aug. 
Sept. 


Men    W'm'n 


6,795 
8,127 
8,003 
9,476 
6,833 


1,096 
1,579 
2,076 
3,035 
1,697 


Total  .  65,517|  12,581 


Chil'n 


1,097 
1,340 
1,394 
1,777 
1,104 


10,636 


Total 


8,988 
11,046 
11,473 
14,288 

9,634 


88,734 


'  1895-6 

Men 

W'm'n 

Chil'n 

Total 

1895-6 

Men 

W'm'n 

Chil'n  Total 

Oct.   '95.. 

3,867 

472 

534 

4,873 

May   .... 

7,294 

1,324 

1,226    9,844 

Nor 

4,149 

588 

546 

5,283 

June    . . . 

8,183 

2,048 

1,314  11,545 

Dec 

3,751 

458 

474 

4,683 

July 

10,092 

2,919 

1,633  14,644 

Jan.  '96.. 

3,416 

430 

459 

4,305 

Aug 

9,426 

3,024 

1,445  13,895 

Feb 

3,313 
4,205 

387 

528 

419 
539 

4,119 
5,272 

Sept.    ... 

6,364 

1.144 

851    8,359 

March  . . 

Total  . 

69,428 

14,096 

10,284  93,808 

April  . . . 

5,368 

774 

844 

6,986 

i        Expenses. 

Receipts. 

Deficit. 

Total  No. 
of  Bathers. 

1891    

.$667  81 
5,077  75 
5,106  86 
5,293  31 
5,152  91 
5,061  17 

$424  55 
2,794  00 
3,266  10 
3,801  ()() 
4,165  25 
4,391  95 

$243  26 
2,283  75 
1,840  76 
1,492  31 
987  66 
669  22 

10,504 
59,440 
68,629 
80,537 

88,734 
93,808 

1891-2 

1892-3 

1893-4 

1894-5 

1895-6 

Totals    .... 

$26,359  81 

$18,842  85 

$7,516  96    1 

401,652 

i'ijiu.k;  r.A'nis  of  new  yokk. 


41 


Sliorlly  .'iftcr  the  l/coplo's  liatlis,  lliosc  of 
tlic  l»aron  de  Hirsch  luind  wen-  opened,  where  also  the  spray  system 
is  used.  The  estabUshnient  is  open  for  Jews  and  Cliristians,  and  is 
supported  by  the  Baron  de  Hirsch  Fund.  These  baths  occupy  the 
first  floor  and  basement  of  a  house  at  the  corner  of  Henry  and 
Market  Streets,  and  upon  them  have  been  expended  $14,500.  The 
cost  of  the  plant  was  $1 1,000.  The  charge  for  bathing  is  five  cents 
for  adults  and  three  cents  for  children.  There  is  nf)  charge  for  the 
pupils  of  the  JJaron  de  Hirsch  English  and  Trade  Schools.  Total 
number  of  bathers  who  have  paid,  from  date  of  opening  to  January 
I,  1895,  (three  years) 

Men    1 59,323 

Women  39,985 

Total 199,308 

Children (No  record  kept.) 

Free (Pupils  of  Baron  de  Hirsch 

English  and  Trade  Schools.) 


Baron  de 
Hir.Hch. 


Month.  Men. 

January,  1895  1  2,775 

February I  2,714 

March    |  3,188 

April I  3,269 

May j  4,956 

June  I  6,148 

July   I  6,706 

August    ,  6,149 

September |  4.761 

Total  i  40,666 


Women. 


6,594 


Total. 


267 

3,042 

262 

2,976 

364 

3,552 

421 

3,690 

723 

5,679 

1,115 

7,263 

1,425 

8.131 

1,092 

7,241 

925 

5,686 

47.260 


In  1895-6,  a  total  of  57.779  baths  were 
taken.  In  the  months  of  April  and  September  the  baths  were 
closed  for  four  days  on  account  of  Jewish  holidays. 

The  annual  cost,  including  rent  (over  and 
above  all  receipts),  is  $1,200.  Number  of  paid  attendants,  three; 
greatest  number  of  bathers  in  any  one  month,  9,235.  July,  1894; 
greatest  number  of  bathers  in  any  one  day,  712,  September  30,  1894. 

The  baths  of  the  Riverside  Association^ 
259  West  Sixty-ninth  Street,  were  opened  February  20,  1895.1 
There  are  thirteen  baths  of  the  rain  water  or  spray  system.  Each 
compartment  is  built  of  corrugated  iron  below  and  \nre  netting 
above,  afi'ording  light  and  ventilation.  Each  bather  is  allowed 
twenty  minutes  and  is  furnished  soap  and  towel,  at  the  cost  of  five 


Riverside 
Baths. 


412 


MAYOR'S    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 


Floating 
Hospital. 


Way- 
farer's 
Lodge. 


cents.    The  fee  to  the  members  of  the  association  is  one  cent. 
March  15,  1895,  Turkish  and  hydriatric  baths  were  added. 

.  Rain  baths  (since  the  date  of  opening).  .  43,515 

Turkish  baths 5.7i6 

Hydriatric  baths 7,185 


On 


Total  baths  up  to  October  31,  1896    56,416 

The  facihties  of  the  Riverside  Baths  are 
about  three  hundred  bathers  dail)'-. 

The  De  Milt  Dispensary  also  supplies 
baths  at  five  cents,  soap  and  towel  furnished.  The  baths,  consist- 
ing of  six  sprays  and  one  tub  bath,  were  opened  in  1891  at  a  cost 
of  $3,400.  None  of  the  baths  is  free.  Only  two  afternoons  and 
evenings  a  week  are  reserved  for  women.  From  November  i, 
1892  up  to  1895,  there  were  bathed  34,618  men  and  3,442  women, 
a  total  of  38,060.  In  1895,  15,826  persons  bathed,  and  in  the  ten 
months  of  1896  to  November  i,  13,247,  making  a  grand  total  of 
67,133  baths  in  four  years.  During  the  three  weeks  of  1896  tb-e 
baths  were  undergoing  repairs,  so  that  the  numbers  were  consider- 
ably curtailed. 

The  Floating  Hospital  of  the  St.  John's 
Guild  gave  salt  water  baths  to  3,084  babies,  4,575  children,  and  855 
women,  a  total  of  8,514,  on  its  fifty-seven  trips  in  the  bay  in  the 
summer  of  1896.  This  made  a  total  of  49,554  baths  since  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  hospital  'in  the  summer  of  1887.  It  contains 
twenty-three  children's  and  four  women's  spray  baths,  two  deep 
tubs  for  children  and  four  small  tubs  for  babies.  These  baths  are 
supervised  by  trained  nurses,  and  are,  of  course,  free. 

The  Wayfarers'  Lodge  on  West  Twenty- 
sixth  Street  only  gives  a  bed  on  condition  of  a  bath.  This  is  usually 
taken  very  willingly,  carbolic  tar  soap  being  supplied.  There  are 
seven  shower  baths,  and  the  temperature  of  the  water  can  be  regu- 
lated at  the  bather's  pleasure.  From  September  i,  1895,  *o  Sep- 
tember 30,  1896,  inclusive,  the  number  of  baths  taken  was  9,262. 

On  March  1 1  last  the  Department  of  Pub- 
lic Charities  established  a  "Lodging  House  for  Homeless  Men."^ 
A  bath  is  compulsory  for  every  lodger,  and  the  results  have  been 
pronounced  very  beneficial.  There  are  eight  baths  of  the  ordinary 
spray  or  shower  bath  form;  the  stalls  are  about  two  and  one-half 
feet  wide,  thus  providing  a  separate  bathing  place  for  each  man. 


ciiAi*'ri':R  V. 


SWIMMING    CLUBS    AND    TllK    SWIMMINO    i'-ATII   AS   A    MEANS   OF 

RKCREATKjN. 

New  York  City  is  by  no  means  so  well 
supplied  with  means  of  recreation  as  its  public-spirited  citizens 
could  desire.  In  the  winter,  while  the  well-to-do  man  can  find  en- 
joyment in  his  library  or  at  a  club,  and  numberless  entertainments 
are  open  to  his  purse,  the  working  man  has  often  only  the  saloon 
to  which  he  can  turn  to  get  society.  The  free  libraries  here  are  few 
and  far  between,  though  always  well  patronized.  In  the  summer  for 
the  poor  man  there  are  the  parks  and  the  free  floating  baths.  The 
extent  to  which  these  baths  are  used  shows  how  much  they  are  ap- 
preciated, even  when  the  luxury  of  a  swim  is  only  able  to  be  in- 
dulged in  in  water  befouled  by  sewage  such  as  that  of  the  adjacent 
rivers.  But  there  are  many  who  do  not  care  to  use  the  floating 
baths  who  would  dearly  enjoy  a  plunge  in  a  comfortable  swimming 
bath,  and  would  be  prepared  to  pay  a  small  sum  for  it. 

Much  of  the  amusement  provided  in  the 
city  is  not  truly  "recreation,"  which  is  a  re-creating  of  the  body  and 
mind  so  that  the  man  or  woman  feels  like  a  new  being  afterwards, 
and  is  better  fitted  to  enter  again  on  the  work  he  has  to  do.  Of  the 
recreative  effects  of  swimming  enough  cannot  be  said.  The  invig- 
orating effect  of  a  cold  plunge  on  both  body  and  mind  is  as 
beneficial  as  it  is  pleasant,  while  as  an  exercise  swimming  is  both 
useful  and  agreeable.  New  York  City  especially  needs  to  encour- 
age swimming.  Being  a  seaboard  city,  many  lives  are  annually 
lost  by  drowning  which  could  be  saved  if  either  the  person  to  whom 
the  accident  happens  or  some  onlooker  were  able  to  swim.  The 
deaths  by  drowning  for  the  last  three  years  were : 


1893. 

1894.                     1                     1895. 

Accident. 

Suicide. 

Accident. 

Suicide. 

Accident.         Suicide. 

January   . 
February . 
March  .  . . 

April    

May 

June  

July  

August    . . 
Sept'ber    . 
October  . . 
November 
December 

i 

5 

9 

37 

31 

34 

28 

20 

14 

9 

2 

i 

1 
1 
1 

2 

5 

6 

16 

17 

26 

35 

31 

26 

21 

5 

7 

6 

..         1            5        1         .. 
..         1            3        11 
1                    9        i         .. 

1  16        j          2 

2  26        I          2 
32        ,          7 

2        !          30                 1 
..         i          33        i         .. 

1                 26        :         .. 

1                  12 
..                   12                  1 

1        1            5        1         .. 

Total  . . 

190 

6        1        201        1          9        1        209        i        14 

Lack  of 

Recrea- 
tion. 


Seaboard 
City. 


44 


.MAiOliS    COMMITTEE    ON     PUBLIC    BATHS. 


Policemen. 


212  Deaths 

from 

Drowning. 


In  addition  to  death  many  accidents  occur, 
and  it  would  seem  that  our  policemen  might  with  advantage  be 
given  instruction  in  the  art  of  swimming  and  in  life-saving  methods, 
that  they  might  not  hesitate  for  fear  of  risking  their  lives  in  attempt- 
ing to  rescue  drowning  persons. 

]\Iuch  more  was  done  by  the  city  in  the 
past  in  this  matter  than  it  is  doing  to-day.  In  1806  the  Humane 
Society  of  New  York  resolved  to  devote  a  portion  of  its  care  to  the 
resuscitation  of  persons  apparently  dead  from  drowning.  It  ac- 
cordingly provided  several  sets  of  apparatus  and  appointed  physi- 
cians to  take  charge  of  them  and  give  the  necessary  medical  aid. 

In  1868  the  number  of  deaths  from  drown- 
ing had  so  largely  increased,  averaging  212  per  annum,  that  a 
committee  was  appointed  by  the  Board  of  Health  to  see  if  some- 
thing could  not  be  done  in  the  matter.  As  a  result,  lessons  in  the 
rescue  and  resuscitation  of  drowned  persons  were  given  to  819 
policemen,  of  whom  ninety-two  were  sergeants;  an  illustrated 
pamphlet  was  issued  and  apparatus  placed  at  twenty-four  points 
on  the  water  front.  The  apparatus  consisted  of  a  grapnel  or  drag, 
a  pike,  a  ladder,  and  a  float  attached  to  a  heaving  line.  During  the 
five  months  previous  to  January  18,  1869,  no  fewer  than  twenty-five 
persons  were  rescued  from  drowning  by  the  agencies  of  the  Board. 
During  1869  it  was  reported  that  the  lives  of  180  persons  had  been 
saved.  The  number  of  rescue  stations  was  extended,  and  the  ap- 
paratus maintained  in  good  order.  In  1870  it  was  reported  that 
a  large  number  of  lives  had  been  saved,  and  policemen  stationed  at 
the  ferries,  ferrymasters,  boatmen,  and  others  united  in  the  opinion 
that  the  life-saving  apparatus  was  an  indispensable  necessity.  In 
1872  the  appropriation  for  maintenance  of  the  life-saving  apparatus 
was  $300.  Nearly  one-third  of  the  apparatus  had  yielded  to  wear 
and  tear.  In  1873  the  Board  of  Health  reported  that  "The  useful- 
ness of  the  apparatus  would  doubtless  be  enhanced  if  the  persons 
regularly  employed  at  the  ferries  and  steamboat  landings  were  in- 
structed and  expert  in  its  use,  as  well  as  in  the  resuscitation  of  per- 
sons rescued  from  the  water."  In  1874-75  the  apparatus  was  care- 
fully overhauled  and  redistributed  to  points  where  it  was  most 
needed.  The  necessary  exposure  of  the  apparatus  subjected  it  to 
rough  usage,  causing  more  injury  than  would  result  from  honest 
wear  and  tear.  No  memoranda  of  the  lives  saved  had  been  kept, 
though  it  was  believed  that  they  were  so  numerous  as  to  warrant  the 
Board  in  extending  the  apparatus  more  generally  along  the  water 
front.    Since  that  date  no  attempt  was  made  to  keep  the  apparatus 


First-class  Swimming  Pool,  Hornsey  Road,  Islington  (London).    Size  of  pool, 
132x40  feet;  fees.  12c.  for  first-class  and  4c.   for  second-class.     The  swimming 

pool  affords  splendid  opportunities  for  recreation. 


Swimming  Pool  for  Women  at  the  Hornsey  Road.  Islington.  London.  Baths. 
At  this  establishment  for  the  year  ending  March  31st.  1396.  92.190  persons  used 
the  private  baths.  179.034  the  swimming  pools  and  30.420  the  laundry.  The 
receipts  from  the  above  amounted  to  £4.224  10s.  3d.  ($20,573.37). 


THE    SWIMMING     I'.ATH     AS     RIOCUKA'nON. 


45 


in  repair,  and  it  was  j^raclnally  lost,  stok-n  or  worn  rnit,  until  it  all 
<lisa|)|)t'arc(i,  and  it  is  now  many  years  since  any  such  apjKiratus 
furnished  by  the  Jlealtli  Department  has  been  upon  the  docks  and 
excursion  boats. 

Compared  with  the  private  bath,  the  public 
swimming  l)atli  is  a  comparatively  late  institution.  While  the  Eng- 
lish Baths  and  Washhouses  Act  dates  from  1846,  provision  for 
swimming  baths  was  not  made  until  an  amendment  was  made  to 
the  act  in  1878.  Previous  to  that  time  the  public,  or,  rather,  the 
male  portion  of  it,  bathed  in  the  rivers  and  streams.  This  arrange- 
ment, though  suited  to  small  towns  and  villages,  was  not  adequate 
to  the  needs  of  a  large  and  growing  urban  population,  and  advan- 
tage was  quickly  taken  of  the  permission  to  build  swimming  baths 
at  the  corporate  expense.  These  baths  are  naturally  most  fre- 
quented in  the  summer  time,  and  the  attendance  falls  ofi  in  the 
winter  much  more  than  in  the  slipper  baths.  In  spite  of  this,  the 
numbers  using  the  swimming  bath  usually  exceed  the  numbers 
using  all  other  kinds  of  baths.    To  take  a  few  cities: 


Slipper 
Baths. 


Birmingham  (5  baths)  

Bradford  (2  baths)  

Bm'uley    

Coventry    

Liverpool  (7  baths)    

Loudon: — 

Bow  (1S95-6)    

Isliuiiton  (1894-5)   

Kensiugtou    

St.  Giles  and  St.  George,  Blooms- 
bury  (1S94)  

St.  James,  Westminster  (1894)  . . 
Salford,  4  establishments  (1891-2).. 


Swimming  Baths. 


Men.      Women.  Children 


Other  Baths. 


Men.       Women. 


242,9891  5,305  55,750110,1811  15,838 
89,198|.    1,309       ....    79,535    13,061 

33,851|       I   11,383        .... 

53,4631  4,398        . .  . .  |  16,753|     5,635 

332,8611  8,027       ....  108,653 1  10,883 

I  I 

49.4681  3,231        ....    48,663i  12,494 
1 197,641 1  26,760        ....  122,371 1  28,576 

I  53.9431  5,949        ....     40.950i     9,249 

I               I  ( 

I     9,818|       36,0001  10,959 

I  31,617i  l,9tK)|       ....    66,764]  24.495 

1  99.126.  3,670    52,6,53;  41.671      6.4.34 


These  figures  will  sutfice  to  show  the 
greater  popularity  of  the  swimming  bath.  The  cleansing  value  of 
the  bath  is  small,  and  some  of  the  bathers  go  "just  for  the  fun."  even 
when  they  cannot  swim.  Incidentally  cleanliness  is  aided,  for  it  is 
understood  that  the  bather  must  attend  to  that  as  a  preliminar}-, 
and  often  a  cleansing  room  with  douches  is  attached,  the  warm 
douche  to  be  used  before  bathing  and  the  cold  after.  Sometimes 
there  are  two  douche  rooms,  for  adults  and  children  respectively. 
In  almost  every  bath  a  cold  shower  is  provided. 

The  swimming  bath  is  usually  titted  ^^^th 
various  appliances  for  the  bathers'  enjoyment.    There  are  diving 


Just  for 
Fun. 


4t> 


MAYOR'S    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 


Swimming 
Lessons. 


10,000 
Swim- 
mers. 


Fabian 

Challenge 

Shield. 


boards  at  various  heights,  and  lately  chutes  are  being  placed  in 
many  of  the  new  baths,  from  which  the  diver  slides  headforemost 
into  the  water.  The  gradual  deepening  of  the  baths — generally 
from  about  three  feet  to  six  feet  six  inches — affords  the  means  of 
enjoyment  to  both  swimmers  and  non-swimmers,  giving  confi- 
dence to  many  to  learn  to  swim.  Provision  is  now  frequently  made 
for  the  game  of  water  polo,  which  is  hotly  contested  and  greatly 
enjoyed  by  all  the  participants,  and,  on  occasion,  by  spectators. 

The  London  School  Board  has  done  a 
great  deal  to  encourage  the  children  under  its  care  to  learn  to  swim. 
Tickets  signed  by  the  head  teacher,  and  stamped  with  the  name  of 
the  school,  are  issued  to  those  who  can  afiford  it  at  one  penny  (two 
cents)  each,  but  to  those  who  are  too  poor  a  special  voucher  is 
given  freely,  the  Board  redeeming  them  when  a  sufficient  number 
has  been  presented.  Many  youngsters  are  not  satisfied  with  get- 
ting a  free  ticket,  which  they  can  only  have  once  a  week,  but  man- 
age to  pay  for  a  bath  at  the  id.  rate  in  addition.  The  time  spent 
in  learning  swimming  counts  as  part  of  the  regular  school  hours. 

Swimming  instruction  is  given  at  most  of 
the  baths  by  competent  instructors.  The  charge  of  6d.  per  lesson 
or  5s.  per  course  of  twelve  (12  cents  and  $1.25  respectively),  as  at 
Edinburgh,  is  a  very  usual  one,  children  paying  half  price.  In  1895 
the  London  Schools  Swimming  Association  taught  over  10,000 
boys  and  girls  to  swim — many  of  the  class  who  would  not  otherwise 
have  seen  the  inside  of  a  swimming  bath.  The  association  is  worked 
entirely  by  school  board  teachers,  who  not  only  give  their  services 
voluntarily,  but  are  often  out  of  pocket  in  defraying  the  many  ex- 
penses entailed.  Nearly  three  hundred  schools  are  affiliated  to  the 
Central  Council  at  the  low  fee  of  is.  per  annum.  These  schools  are 
situated  all  over  the  London  postal  district  and  are  grouped  into 
suitable  branches,  of  which  there  are  now  twenty-two,  each  school 
communicating  with  the  Central  Council  through  the  Branch  Sec- 
retary. Each  branch  sends  one  representative  to  the  Central  Coun- 
cil for  every  six  schools  affiliated.  Hoxton  has  eleven  schools 
which  pay  2s.  6d.  affiliation  fee  to  the  branch,  which  pays  their  af- 
filiation fee  to  the  Central  Council.  A  very  pretty  first-class  certi- 
ficate, designed  by  Walter  Crane,  is  awarded  to  every  boy  swim- 
ming a  hundred  yards,  and  to  every  girl  swimming  fifty  yards,  an 
examination  fee  of  3d.  being  charged.  The  "Daily  Chronicle"  Chal- 
lenge Shield  is  held  for  one  year  by  the  boys'  school  having  the 
largest  number  of  these  certificates,  compared  with  the  number 
above  the  age  of  ten  years  on  the  roll  of  the  school.    The  "Fabian'^ 


TIIK    HWIMMINd     r.y\'rn     as     recreation.  47 

Challenge  Shield  is  held  hy  I  he  j,nrls'  school  fiiiniHngthe  same  con- 
ditions. The  event  of  the  year  is  the  Central  Championship  Com- 
petition, and  leaders  in  the  swinmiing  world  agree  that  it  is  the  best 
all-around  show  ever  given  by  children,  the  diving  and  the  competi- 
tion of  four  boys'  teams  and  four  girls'  teams  for  the  Life  Saving 
Society's  medals  and  certificates  l)eing  especially  commended. 

Teachers  are  encouraged  to  learn  to  swim 
by  the  granting  of  certificates  to  all  who  can  dive  (optional  for 
ladies),  swim  one  hundred  yards  (ladies  fifty  yards),  part  to  be  done 
on  the  back,  and  satisfy  the  judges  of  their  power  to  teach  swim- 
ming and  life-saving.    Candidates  arc  expected  to  answer  questions 
on  the  theory  and  method  of  teaching,  and  to  criticize  faulty  swim-      Faulty 
ming,  as  well  as  to  be  able  to  effectively  rescue  by  any  two  of  the     Swim- 
four  methods  and  to  know  thoroughly  the  resuscitation  drill  on     "^^"K- 
the  Sylvester  method.    Examiners  are  appointed  by  the  Southern 
Counties  Amateur  Swimming  Association,  the  Life  Saving  Society 
and  the  London  Schools  Swimming  Association. 

In  1895  the  London  Schools  Swimming 
Association  expended  £86  2s,  while  its  income  was  only  £59  9s.  6d. 
Subscriptions  amounted  to  £20  9s.  6d.,  the  remainder  of  the  re- 
ceipts coming  from  affiliation  fees,  sale  of  tickets  and  programmes 
at  the  Annual  Competition,  etc.  The  Association  provided  medals 
for  the  branch  championship  at  a  cost  of  £22  19s.  8d.  in  1895,  but 
all  the  trophies  are  given  by  interested  friends. 

Mr.  Charles  Newman,  who  was  formerly 
at  the  Battersea  Baths,  taught  the  Board  School  boys  there  free  of 
charge,  and  he  is  now  doing  the  same  at  the  Westminster  Baths. 
He  gives  about  1,700  lessons  yearly,  and  turns  out  about  one  hun- 
dred swimmers  each  year.  Unfortunately,  he  had  to  turn  many 
boys  away  for  the  simple  reason  that  they  had  had  nothing  to  eat. 
Many  deaths  which  were  put  down  to  cramp  in  the  legs  were  more 
properly  attributed  to  cramp  in  the  stomach,  and  Mr.  Newman 

therefore  dared  not  let  the  lads  enter  the  w^ater,  much  as  thev  would 

Life 
have  enjoyed  it.     Mr.  Newman  also  arranged  a  life-saving  class,  . 

which  won  warm  approval  from  Coroner  Hicks,  who  had  so  often      ciass 

witnessed  the  sad  results  of  a  lack  of  this  knowledge  on  the  part  of  a 

riverside  population. 

To   promote  the   interests   of  s\\immers 

clubs  were  ver}^  early  formed,  and  now  there  is  scarcely  a  bath  which 

is  not  used  by  at  least  one,  and  often  by  quite  a  number  of  these 

clubs.    A  reduction  is  usually  made,  club  members  being  admitted 

for  4d.  and  4^d.,  where  other  bathers  are  charged  6d.     For  this 


4S 


.MAYOR'S    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 


Swim- 
ming 
Clubs. 


Novice. 


Otter 
Club. 


and  other  club  benefits,  a  fee,  usually  about  los.  6d.  per  annum, 
($2.60)  is  charged,  the  entrance  fee  varying  from  2s.  6d.  to  £i  is. 
Most  of  the  clubs  are  affiliated  to  the  Amateur  Swimming  Associa- 
tion, and  only  amateurs  may  belong  to  them.  The  accepted  defini- 
tion of  an  amateur  is  as  follows:  "An  amateur  is  one  who  has  never 
competed  for  a  money  prize,  declared  wager,  or  staked  bet;  who 
has  never  taught,  pursued  or  assisted  in  the  practice  of  swimming 
or  any  other  athletic  exercise  as  a  means  of  pecuniary,  gain,  and 
who  has  not  knowingly  or  without  protest  taken  part  in  any  compe- 
tition or  exhibition  with  anyone  who  is  not  an  amateur."  A  swim- 
mer ceases  to  be  an  amateur  and  becomes  a  professional  by 

"(a)  Engaging  in  swimming  or  any  other  athletic  exercise — or 
personally  teaching,  training  or  coaching  any  other  person  therein 
- — for  pecuniary  gain. 

"(b)  Selling,  realizing  upon,  or  otherwise  turning  into  cash  any 
prize  won  by  him. 

"(c)  Accepting  remuneration  for  swimming  in  public,  or  by 
being  employed  for  money  or  wages  in  a  swimming  bath  or  else- 
w^here  as  an  attendant  on  swimmers." 

A  novice  is  one  who  at  the  time  of  compet- 
ing has  never  won  a  prize  in  a  similar  class  of  open  competition, 
i.  e. ,  winning  a  prize  for  plunging,  object  diving,  etc.,  or  in  any  other 
branch  of  sport,  will  not  disqualify  the  winner  from  competing  as 
a  novice  in  a  swimming  race  proper,  or  vice  versa.  This  rule  does 
not  apply  to  prizes  won  at  school. 

Honorar}^  members  are  admitted  on  differ- 
ent conditions,  but  are  usually  not  allowed  to  vote,  though  given  all 
other  club  privileges. 

Subscribing  members  have  to  be  proposed 
and  seconded  by  club  members.  A  ballot  is  taken  at  the  next  com- 
mittee meeting,  and  a  small  minority  can  exclude,  in  one  club  one 
black  ball  in  four,  in  another  one  in  five.  The  management  of  the 
club  is  usually  vested  in  a  President,  one  or  more  Vice-Presidents, 
Treasurer,  Secretary,  a  Committee  of  about  ten  members  and  a  Cap- 
tain. All  but  the  last  are  always  elected  annually,  though  usually 
eligible  for  re-election.  The  Captain  is  sometimes  elected,  some- 
times (as  in  the  Otter  S.  C,  London),  the  captaincy  is  swum  for  in 
open  water,  the  time  and  place  being  chosen  by  the  committee,  and 
the  distance  being  1000  yards.  The  votes  of  two-thirds  of  the  mem- 
bers in  one  club,  or  in  some  cases  of  the  committee  alone,  though 
then  with  the  right  of  appeal,  can  expel  a  member  for  ungentle- 
manlv  behavior. 


'IMIIO    swimming;     HA'I'II     as     IIECKKA'J'ION. 


»u 


Prizes  are  offered  by  the  clul^s  lor  jjrofic- 
iency  in  swimming-,  diving',  etc.,  and  the  annual  entertainment  is 
frequently  a  very  brilliant  nffair.  liootle  held  two  such  contests  last 
year,  one  club  getting  the  Mayor  to  i)reside.  The  other  festival  was 
held  by  the  boys  from  the  schools,  who  paid  for  the  use  of  the  baths. 
The  Otter  Swimming  Club  held  its  annual  entertainment  on  Octo- 
ber 1st,  1895,  at  the  St.  George's,  1  Buckingham  Palace  Road,  baths. 
The  progrannne  included  inter-club  high  diving,  limited  to  three 
entries  from  each  club.  Points  were  given  for  correctness  of  posi- 
tion on  the  board,  neatness  of  take-off,  of  position  in  the  air,  and  of 
entering  the  water,  avoidance  of  splash  and  neatness  of  coming  to 
the  surface.  Each  competitor  was  allowed  two  dives,  and  the  high- 
est aggregate  won.  Two  prizes  were  given.  The  next  event  was  a 
360  yards  (12  lengths)  team  race.  -Each  man  of  each  team  swam 
sixty  yards;  the  second  started  when  the  first  had  finished,  the  third 
waited  until  the  second  finished,  and  so  on ;  the  team  whose  six  men 
completed  the  360  yards  first  won  the  race,  and  each  man  received  a 
prize  of  a  silver-mounted  paper  knife.  Four  prizes  were  offered  for 
a  ninety  yards  invitation  and  club  handicap.  There  were  six  men  in 
each  of  six  heats,  the  final  being  swum  by  the  first  in  each  heat.  A 
prize  of  a  silver  cigarette  and  match  box  case  was  offered  to  the  win- 
ner of  a  thirty  yards  clothes  handicap.  Following  this  was  a  dis- 
play of  diving,  ornamental  and  trick  swimming  by  two  members  of 
the  club  who  were  pupils  of  the  instructor.  Then  came  a  sixty  yards 
hurdle  handicap  in  three  heats,  for  which  three  prizes  w"ere  offered. 
The  next  event  was  a  life-saving  demonstration,  under  the  director- 
ship of  Mr.  George  J.  Strickland  (Otter  S.  C.  and  Life  Saving 
Society).  The  demonstrators  were  teams  of  members  of  the  Lon- 
don Schools  Swimming  Association,  and  all  the  details  of  release 
and  rescue  and  of  resuscitation  were  fully  given.  A  water  polo  match 
between  Cambridge  University  (Past  and  Present)  and  the  Otter 
S.  C.  followed,  and  the  last  event  w^as  a  sixty,  yards  interclub  croco- 
dile race,  for  which  a  silver  match  box  was  offered  to  each  of  the 
four  members  of  the  winning  team.  There  were  sixteen  entries. 
Admission  tickets  cost  2s.  (50  cents),  but  admission  at  the  doors  was 
2s.  6d.  (60  cents).  A  charge  of  3d.  (6  cents)  was  made  for  the  pro- 
gramme. 

These  club  contests  bring  the  swimming 
bath  into  popular  favor  as  a  means  of  recreation,  and  the  attendance 
is  greatly  increased.  Almost  ever}^  provincial  town  has  its  club. 
Burnley  in  1894-5  sold  4,500  club  tickets  in  packages  of  100  each, 
at  a  reduction  of  25  per  cent.    The  Dolphin  Club  was  responsible 


5pla.sh 

and 

Neatness. 


Crocodile 
Race. 


50 


MAYOR'S    COMMITTEE    ON    TUBLIC    BATHS. 


Ladies' 
Days. 


Dives, 

Pathways, 

Rafts. 


for  8,237  of  an  attendance  of  37,170  at  the  Manchester  Road  Baths 
at  Bradford.  Eighteen  clubs  use  the  Hornsey  Road,  IsHngton, 
baths.  Three  committee  rooms  are  provided  for  their  benefit,  and 
can  be  used  on  special  occasions  as  dressing  rooms.  Westminster 
gives  the  greatest  possible  facilities  for  clubs,  quite  a  number,  in- 
cluding several  ladies'  clubs,  making  it  their  headquarters. 

Some  of  the  clubs  are  formed  of  employes 
of  a  single  farm,  the  employers  figuring  as  presidents  or  patrons. 
Thus  the  Blomfield  House  Swimming  Club,  the  holders  of  the  City 
of  Lx)ndon  Bath  Championship  and  the  Junior  Water  Polo  Cham- 
pionship, with  headquarters  at  the  Westminster  Baths,  is  composed 
of  employes  of  Alessrs.  Waterlow  &  Sons,  wholesale  stationers, 
The  employes  of  Messrs.  Maple,  the  furniture  manufacturers  and 
dealers,  form  the  Clarence  S.  C,  and  use  the  Fitzroy  Baths. 

The  swimming  bath  is  not  yet  so  popular 
with  ladies  as  with  gentlemen.  There  are  several  reasons  for  this. 
The  expense  is  greater,  and  the  incumbrance  of  a  bathing  dress 
involves  greater  difBculty  in  learning  to  swim.  The  "ladies'  days" 
are  inconvenient  to  many,  and  sometimes  no  evening  hours  are  al- 
lotted to  them,  so  that  very  little  opportunity  exists  for  practice.  Of 
twelve  events  at  the  Portsmouth  Swimming  Club's  Nineteenth  An- 
nual Festival,  swum  in  the  sea  off  South  Parade  Pier,  four  were  for 
ladies.  In  a  hundred  yards  challenge  race  for  the  Connaught  Salt 
Water  Challenge  Trophy,  there  were  only  three  entries,  and  only 
two  for  another  trophy,  though  in  each  case  two  other  prizes  were 
offered.    Eleven  entered  for  a  hundred  yards  open  handicap. 

Many  of  the  new  swimming  baths  afford  a 
good  length  for  these  races.  The  Hornsey  Road  First  Class  Baths 
are  132  by  40  feet,  with  a  second-class  bath  of  100  feet  by  35  feet, 
and  a  ladies'  bath  75  feet  by  35  feet.  The  festivals  give  enjoyment  to 
numerous  onlookers,  as  many  as  2,000  having  been  seated  at  the 
Westminster  Baths. 

The  little  island  of  Jersey,  with  its  52,000 
inhabitants,  30,000  of  whom  reside  in  the  commercial  town  of  St. 
Heliers,  early  felt  the  need  of  bathing  accommodation.  The  loss  of 
life  around  the  rugged  and  dangerous  coast  was  so  great  that  as 
early  as  1865  the  Jersey  Swimming  Club  was  formed  to  encourage 
the  acquisition  of  the  art  of  swimming.  For  years  this  club  main- 
tained the  whole  of  the  dives,  pathways,  rafts,  life-boats  and  other 
necessary  appliances,  with  very  little  assistance  from  the  local  au- 
thorities. The  public  generally  shared  in  all  these  benefits,  though 
not  more  than  one  in  four  who  availed  themselves  of  the  comforts 


Till)    SVV1MM1N(;     I'.ATIl     AS    JtE(;ilEATION.  Til 

provided  by  the  Club  contributed  in  any  way.  'J'he  Club  was  in- 
corporated in  1893  .'uid  obtained  a  lease  of  the  foreshore  at  La  T'ol- 
lette  for  twenty-one  years  at  a  nominal  rent.  The  efforts  to  obtain 
a  permanent  bathinj^  place,  more  suitable  to  ladies  and  available  at 
all  states  of  the  tide — the  rise  and  fall  is  as  much  as  forty  feet  in 
spring  tides — were  finally  successful  in  1895,  when  the  Ilavre-des- 
Pas  Bathing  Establishment  was  opened.  This  bathing  pool  is  but 
a  short  distance  from  the  shore,  and  is  so  constructed  as  to  be  flushed 
at  every  tide,  and  it  is  fitted  with  sluices  for  cleaning  purposes.  The 
sides  of  the  pool,  which  covers  about  three  acres,  are  mostly  of 
solid  rock  blasted  to  slope,  but  here  and  there  a  strong,  wide  stone 
wall  has  had  to  be  built  from  rock  to  rock.  At  the  shore  side  rises 
a  massive  granite  tower,  built  on  solid  rock.  Inside  is  a  band  stand  (Granite 
and  round  the  inside  of  the  wall  are  built  commodious  dressing  jower. 
boxes,  with  lavatories  and  shower  baths  attached.  On  the  top  of  the 
dressing  boxes  is  a  wide  gallery.  There  is  every  possible  conven- 
ience for  divers,  and  a  shallow  place  for  learners.  In  fact,  it  is  an 
ideal  bathing  place,  and  is  a  credit,  not  only  to  the  club,  but  to  the 
whole  island.  The  pool  is  only  used  by  gentlemen  from  8  to  10 
a.  m.,  being  reserved  for  ladies  from  6  a.  m.  to  7  p.  m.,  with 
the  exception  of  these  hours,  and  on  Sundays  from  6.30  a.  m. 
to  9.30  a.  m.  Admission  is  free  to  lady  members,  gentlemen 
members  paying  id.  and  non-members  3d.  for  a  single  bath  or  2S. 
6d.  for  twelve  tickets.  Swimming  instruction  is  free  to  members, 
btit  a  charge  of  3d.  per  lesson  of  a  quarter  of  an  hour  is  made  to 
non-members,  twelve  lessons  costing  2s.  6d.  Separate  dressing- 
rooms  are  provided,  with  the  usual  fittings.  The  bathing  for  the 
day  being  over,  the  establishment  lends  itself  admirably  to  band 
promenades  in  the  summer  evenings.  In  the  winter  the  pool  is 
used  for  yacht  sailing.  The  establishment  has  proved  ver\^  success- 
ful, and  in  1895  £50  of  the  original  cost  was  paid  ofT.  The  £3000 
required  was  raised  by  means  of  debentures  bearing  interest  at  the 
rate  of  2^  per  cent,  per  annum.  Some  15,000  persons  paid  admis- 
sion in  the  season  of  1895,  and  there  was  every  reason  to  anticipate 
a  substantial  increase  in  1896. 

The  bathing  place  at  La  Collette  is  open      La 
free  and  non-members  are  allowed  to  the  full  extent  of  the  accom-      Collette. 
modation  provided.    It  is  proposed  to  erect  here  a  similar  establish- 
ment to  the  one  at  Havre-des-Pas,  at  a  cost  of  £2000,  which  is  to  be 
raised  at  3^  per  cent,  per  annum,  so  as  to  give  gentlemen  the  same 
opportunities  now  provided  for  ladies. 

The  club  now  comprises  135  ladies  and  188 


MAYORS  COMMITTEE  ON  PUBLIC  BATHS. 


Police. 


No 
Towels. 


girls  under  sixteen;  239  gentlemen  and  113  boys  under  sixteen;  57 
life  and  3  honorary  members.    A  total  of  753. 

The  fees  per  annum  are : — 

Ladies   8s. 

Girls  (12  to  16  years  of  age) 6s. 

Girls  (under  12  years  of  age,  including  the  use 
of  the  new  pool) 4s. 

Gentlemen 5s. 

Boys  (under  16  years  of  age) 2s. 

Boys  (under  7  years  of  age,  including  the  use 

of  the  new  pool)   4s. 

Subscriptions  are  payable  in  advance  on 
January  ist  of  each  year. 

The  club  holds  annual  swimming  matches, 
at  which  prizes  are  given.  Certificates  of  proficiency  in  swimming 
are  awarded,  and  every  effort  made  to  encourage  this  art,  so  valuable 
to  a  water-surrounded  people. 

In  this  country  the  municipal  provision  of 
swimming  pools  is  a  comparatively  late  institution.  The  need 
arose  when  the  rapid  growth  of  cities  left  no  streams  or  pools  where 
the  small  boy  could  strip  and  bathe  undisturbed  by  the  police.  New 
York's  first  floating  bath  was  opened  in  1870,  and  Philadelphia's 
first  bathhouse  in  1885.  Chicago  has  had  a  public  swimming  bath 
for  the  first  time  this  year,  but  already  a  second  and  a  third  are 
talked  of.  In  neither  of  these  cities  is  any  attempt  made  to  heat  the 
bath,  which  is  only  kept  open  during  the  summer  months. 

In  Philadelphia  there  are  six  swimming 
baths  in  different  parts  of  the  city,  and  the  attendants  at  each  are  a 
man,  a  woman  and  a  policeman.  The  baths  are  38  by  107  feet.  They 
are  open  from  6  a.  m.  to  9  p.  m.  week  days  and  from  6  to  9  a.  m.  Sun- 
day. Women's  days  are  Mondays  and  Thursdays;  other  days  are  re- 
served for  men.  The  building  is  cleaned  twice  a  week,  and  the  water 
in  the  tank  changed  twice  a  day.  There  is  always  a  constant  change 
of  water,  as  it  is  running  in  and  out  continually,  the  depth  being 
from  three  to  six  feet.  The  pool  is  sometimes  divided  and  warnings 
posted  to  prevent  accidents.  No  towels  are  allowed  to  be  left  at  the 
bath,  each  bather  being  supposed  to  provide  his  own,  though  this 
is  rarely  done,  the  participants  preferring  to  "dry  ofif."  Bathing 
trunks  are  provided  at  the  modest  charge  of  three  cents.  It  will  be 
noticed  that  of  the  1,879,662  baths  registered,  only  32,416  were 
taken  by  women  and  girls.  There  were  fully  five  times  as  many 
boys  as  men,  and  girls  as  women. 


"Amateur"  Swimming  Club  (London).  This  club,  as  well  as  several  others, 
uses  the  Fitzroy  Baths.  St.  Pancras.  The  recreative  features  of  the  swimming 
club  need  no  comment. 


The  Newport  (England)  Swimming  Pool,  floored  over  in  the  winter  and  used 
as  a  gymnasium  and  room  for  tennis,  thus  emphasizing  the  recreative  features  of 
the  establishment. 


THIO    SWIMMINJ;     I'.A'I'll     AS    RECREATION. 


53 


The  season  of  1896  lastcfl  from  June  15  to 
September  26.  The  mniibcr  of  bathers  at  tlic  various  bathhouses 
was  as  follows : 


Nsiiiiii  oi'  itiUh  lIouMC. 

Male. 

Female. 

TotoL 

Utiacli  Jiiid  liMiiit'l  Streets  

'402.81)4 
170,843 
;U8,177 

472,84.') 
0(;,:'.o(; 

41  C.J  SI 

13.080 
3,418 
3,224 

6.488 

li.r.Ts 

4i5,i)do 

Eighth  and  Mifllin   

174,261 

Thirty-secdiKl  and  ItldRe  Ave 

Twenty-sevculli  and  Master  

Thlrtv-thlrd  and  South   

321.401 
47»,.3.'{:{ 

CS  KH4 

Twelfth  and  Wharton  

:'.r,'S2             llM.so.-', 

Totals 

l,847,24t> 

32,410          l.«7Si.ti(i2 

' 

The  bathhouses  cost  $8,000  each  to  erect. 
The  cost  of  maintenance  and  repairs  is  $400  per  year,  and  $600  a 
year  superintendent's  salary.  A  new  bathhouse  has  just  been  erect- 
ed at  Second  and  Cumberland  Streets  at  a  cost  of  $15,102.95.  The 
building  is  the  handsomest  of  its  kind  in  the  country.  Unlike  those 
of  the  other  city  bathhouses,  the  bathing"  pool  is  roofed  over.  The 
building  is  constructed  of  brick  and  stone  and  the  pool  is  35  by  90 
feet.    This  bathhouse  will  be  opened  for  the  first  time  next  year. 

Before  the  opening  of  the  public  bath- 
houses for  the  season  of  1896,  Dr.  Edwin  J.  Houston,  President  of 
the  National  Swimming  Association,  made  an  arrangement  with 
Chief  Eisenhower,  of  the  Bureau  of  City  Property,  to  give  a  lecture 
on  swimming  at  each  one  of  the  various  pools,  at  which  the  mem- 
bers of  the  N.  S.  A.  would  assist  him  by  giving  exhibitions  of  the 
different  swimming  strokes,  best  methods  of  saving  life  in  drown- 
ing accidents,  how  to  resuscitate  the  apparently  drowned,  and  in 
other  ways  instruct  and  educate  the  boys  in  these  useful  matters. 
The  lectures  created  a  great  amount  of  public  interest.  Boys  who 
had  learned  to  swim  had  pointed  out  to  them  the  most  common 
faults  in  swimming;  many  who  knew  nothing  of  the  art  previously 
learned  to  swim.  At  the  conclusion  of  each  of  the  lectures  referred 
to  a  number  of  the  boys  who  displayed  proficiency  in  swimming 
were  allowed  to  compete  for  prizes,  given  by  the  National  Swim- 
ming Association,  comprising  gold,  silver  and  bronze  medals,  for 
the  first,  second  and  third  in  the  final  heat.  Dr.  Houston  hopes 
eventually  to  see  swdmming  take  a  place  in  the  educational  curricu- 
lum in  the  schools  of  our  large  cities,  and  to  further  this  end  is  try- 
ing to  create  a  strong  public  interest  in  the  sport. 


Bathing 
Pool. 


CHAPTER  VL 


Rose 
Shower. 


Sprink- 
lers. 


First- 

Class 

Tubs. 


THE    SPRAY    BATH,  AND    SPRAY    BATHS    IN    THE    PUBLIC 
SCHOOLS. 

The  bathing  establishment  is  now  not  up- 
to-date  which  has  not  spray  baths  in  place  of  the  old-fashioned  tub. 

The  original  form  of  the  spray  was  the  old 
rose  shower,  which  was  common  in  the  early  part  of  the  century. 
About  iS8o  a  great  demand  for  a  cheap  and  quick  form  of  bath  pro- 
duced various  improvements  in  the  spray  bath.  The  Hemenway 
Gymnasium,  at  Harvard  University,  contained  a  shower  room  ten 
feet  by  twelve  feet,  with  appliances  for  giving  lateral,  vertical  and 
descending  showers.  In  1883  Mr.  Robert  J.  Roberts,  physical  di- 
rector of  the  Boston  Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  to  ob- 
viate the  fall  of  water  on  the  head,  which  was  held  to  be  dangerous, 
invented  the  ring-shaped  rain  shower,  which  has  been  named  after 
him.  It  was  first  used  in  the  Boston  Y.  M.  C.  A.  Gymnasium,  then 
new. 

In  1889  Dr.  Simon  Baruch,  of  New  York, 
in  an  editorial  in  the  Philadelphia  "Medical  Times  and  Register," 
urged  the  construction  of  public  rain  baths  as  a  simple  and  cheap 
means  of  bathing  those  who  had  no  facilities  at  home.  At  the  Social 
Science  Convention,  Saratoga,  in  September,  1890,  Dr.  Baruch  pre- 
sented plans  for  rain  baths  and  described  their  working.  On  his 
advice  the  New  York  Juvenile  Asylum  substituted  for  its  plunge 
bath  a  system  of  sixty-eight  sprinklers,  twenty  inches  apart,  con- 
nected by  pipes  near  the  ceiling.  By  this  means  280  children  are 
now  bathed  in  one  hour,  where  formerly  it  was  only  possible  to 
bathe  eighty,  and  only  one-eighth  of  the  quantity  of  water  is  used. 

In  November,  1890,  Dr.  Baruch  explained 
to  the  Association  for  Improving  the  Condition  of  the  Poor  the 
working  of  the  spray  bath  and  its  adaptation  to  a  public  bathing  es- 
tablishment. As  a  result,  a  building  committee  was  appointed  and 
the  People's  Baths  were  constructed. 

In  Germany  private  spray  baths  are  being 
introduced  into  all  the  municipal  bathing  establishments,  and  a 
smaller  charge  is  usually  made  than  for  the  tub  bath.  The  use  of  a 
shower  bathroom  is  often  compulsory  previous  to  entering  the 
swimming  bath.  England  has  not  taken  up  the  system,  though 
showers  are  often  placed  as  an  adjunct  to  first-class  tub  baths,  or  to 
swimming  baths. 


rillO   STRAY    I^ATH.  r)T, 

The  supcii(;rity  (jf  tlic  spray  bath  over  llie 
tub  is  evident  to  any  one  who  comes  to  the  question  with  an  un- 
prejudiced mind. 

The  tub  is  extremely  (hllicuk  io  keep  clean, 
needing  special  preparation  for  each  bather,  and  even  then  skin  dis-     coai 
eases  arc  sonu'tiines  transmitted.    A  coal  miner  or  engineer  taking      Miner. 
a  tub  bath  would  very  soon  soil  the  water  so  that  absolute  cleanli- 
ness would  become  an  impossibility  without  a  change  of  water. 

With  the  spray  it  is  very  rliffercnt.  The 
bather  soaps  himself  standing  in  a  rain  of  warm  water  falling  with 
some  force,  and  scrubs  and  cleans  himself  perfectly  in  a  short  time, 
the  soiled  water  passing  away  immediately. 

The  outlay  for  tubs  is  avoided,  as  well  as 
the  cost  of  their  wear  and  tear.  The  cost  of  the  spray  fittings  is  out 
.of  all  proportion  to  this  expense. 

The  time  required  is  very  much  less  in  the 
spray  bath  than  in  the  tub  bath,  because  the  mechanical  effect  of  the 
descending  stream  aids  the  removal  of  dirt. 

The  economy  of  water  is  enormous,  only 
half  the  amount  being  used,  and  the  economy  of  space  is  almost  as 
great. 

The  tonic  effect  of  the  spray  is  very  valu- 
able, stimulating  the  skin,  and  thus  providing  protection  against 
subsequent  exposure,  especially  if  the  temperature  of  the  water  is 

gradually  lowered. 

Low 
The  low  cost  at  which  the  spray  bath  can     ^^^^ 

be  given  makes  it  pre-eminently  successful  as  a  popular  bath.  The 
People's  Baths  average  an  expense  of  a  little  over  five  cents  a  bath, 
and  in  Germany,  owing  to  cheaper  labor  and  accommodation  not 
being  quite  so  private  as  here,  the  cost  is  much  lower.  It  is  thought 
that  a  bath  double  the  size  of  the  People's  Baths  would  pay  ex- 
penses at  a  charge  of  five  cents  per  person.  Where  this  small  fee 
was  thought  inadvisable,  the  expense  to  the  cit}'-  would  be  a  com- 
parative trifle,  compared  to  that  for  either  tub  or  swimming  baths. 

The  basements  of  our  public  schools, 
which  are,  in  many  cases,  very  little  used,  are  peculiarly  fitted  for 
the  establishment  of  spray  baths  for  the  school  children.  Where 
the  basement  is  used  as  a  playground,  a  roof  garden  playground 
might  be  substituted,  and  so  a  double  advantage  secured. 

The  credit  of  the  initiation  of  this  move- 
ment belongs  to  Gottingen,  a  city  of  21.000  inhabitants,  in  Hanover, 
Germany.    A  great  reform  had  been  made  in  school  affairs,  giving 


56  MAYOR'S    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 

the  most  approved  methods  of  heating  and  ventilation  in  large, 
hygienically-constructed  buildings.  But  the  thought  came,  of 
what  avail  were  all  these  hygienic  arrangements  if  to  these  buildings 
were  admitted  dirty  children,  with  all  kinds  of  infectious  germs? 
Considering  the  matter,  the  almost  complete  lack  of  bathing  facili- 
ties for  the  scholars,  and  especially  for  the  girls,  was  spoken  of. 
Except  during  the  open  bathing  time  during  the  summer  months, 
Uawashed  by  far  the  greater  portion  of  the  children  went  unwashed,  except  for 
Children.  face  and  hands,  and  especially  was  this  the  case  with  those  above 
the  age  of  ten.  Indeed,  a  subsequent  census  of  a  higher  grade 
school  in  Gottingen,  containing  860  scholars,  showed  that  only 
145,  or  17  per  cent.,  were  bathed  in  tubs  at  home,  these  being  mostly 
the  younger  children,  while  i  per  cent,  of  the  others  bathed  at 
private  establishments.  The  remaining  700  children  were  practic- 
ally without  the  means  of  obtaining  a  full  bath  from  one  year's 
end  to  another. 

The  basements  of  the  schools  were  empty, 
there  was  a  good  water  supply  and  drainage,  all  necessary  arrange- 
ments for  heating  and  excellent  janitors.  A  consultation  with  the 
city  architect  proved  its  practicability  at  an  estimated  expense  of 
$166.60  for  one  school.  The  common  council  granted  $238  for  the 
purpose.  The  cost,  exclusive  of  building  alterations,  as  asphalting 
and  drainage  channels,  was: 

Reservoir,  with  fittings $61  88 

Furnace    40  46 

Water  pipes,  douches 71  40 

Tubs  and  fittings 11  90 

Total $185  64 

A  room  sixteen  feet  ten  inches  by  eight 
feet  three  inches  was  fitted  up  as  a  bathing  room  and  another  of  the 
same  size  as  a  dressing  room.  Both  rooms  have  asphalt  floors, 
which  are  laid  where  necessary  with  wooden  bath  mats  or  cocoa 
matting.  The  walls  of  the  bathroom  are  cemented.  There  are  three 
douches,  with  shallow  tubs  of  five  feet  two  inches  in  diameter  under- 
neath. The  water  is  kept  at  a  temperature  of  84  to  86  degrees  Fah- 
renheit, and  may  be  used  on  very  hot  days  as  cool  as  75  or  JJ  de- 
grees Fahrenheit.  About  5,000  gallons  of  water  are  used  for  seventy 
children. 

The  baths  were  ready  for  use  early  in  1885. 
No  compulsion  was  used,  and  at  first  only  a  few  children  went  down^ 


Til  JO     HI'KAY      liA'I'H. 


n? 


but  after  two  months  about  75  per  eeiit.  took  part  in  the  bathinj^. 
Each  scholar  wlio  wishes  receives  a  batli  once  a  fortnight,  on  one 
•of  the  four  full  days  during  the  time  school  is  open.  The  class  which 
bathes  studies  some  lesson  which  does  not  require  the  presence  of 
the  whole  class.  From  six  to  nine  children,  according  to  size,  go 
down  at  once,  and  when  they  have  had  time  to  undress,  a  second 
set  are  sent  down.  The  first  set  step  under  the  douclies,  two  or 
three  under  each  douche,  and  when  they  have  bathed  the  others 
are  ready  to  take  their  places.  Thus  the  douches  are  kept  in  use, 
and  the  time  occupied  is  comparatively  small,  a  class  of  fifty-one 
boys  bathing  in  fifty  minutes.  Girls  and  younger  children  take 
rather  longer.  The  disturbance  of  lessons  is  not  so  great  as  was 
feared.  Only  a  few  children  are  absent  at  any  one  time  and  these 
can  be  easily  controlled — the  boys  by  the  janitor,  the  girls  and 
younger  children  by  the  janitress.  The  latter  undertook  to  assist 
the  little  ones,  who  stood  sadly  in  need  of  such  help. 

A  towel  is  brought  by  each  bather,  whilst 
bathing  caps  and  petticoats  were  supplied  to  the  larger  girls. 

Precaution  is  taken  to  avoid  cold  imme- 
diately after  bathing.  The  children  go  back  to  warmed  classrooms 
and  cool  off  gradually,  bathing  not  being  allowed  half  an  hour  be- 
fore school  closes. 

"The  quickness  and  willingness  to  learn 
after  bathing,  the  education  of  the  sense  of  cleanliness,  the  further- 
ance of  the  health  of  the  children,  are  such  important  and  real  re- 
sults of  the  arrangement,"  says  School  Director  Personn,  "that  I 
cannot  but  express  to  the  city  authorities  the  wish  that,  if  possible, 
similar  bathing  establishments  might  be  introduced  into  the  other 
public  schools." 

Already  it  had  been  found  that  parents  sent 
cleaner  and  tidier  children  to  the  handsome  new  school  buildinsTS ; 
now  their  pride  made  them  anxious  that  neither  the  janitress  nor 
their  fellow  scholars  should  see  ragged  or  dirty  underclothing. 
There  are  few  families  so  lost  to  all  better  feelings  that  this  has  no 
effect,  and  in  those  where  drink  has  driven  the  sense  of  honor  away, 
charity  must  give  clothes  to  the  poor  children. 

Up  to  date  about  forty  cities  have  followed 
Gottingen's  example,  at  a  cost  for  w^ater  of  one-quarter  of  a  cent  in 
Germany  and  one-fifth  of  a  cent  in  Switzerland. 


F'ew 
Children. 


Quickness 
and 

Willing- 
ness. 


The  city  of  Posen  erected  a  spray  bath  in 
the  basement  of  the  third  public  school  in  1804.    Dressing  accom- 


58 


MAYOR  S  COMMITTEE  ON  PUBLIC  BATHS. 


modation  was  provided  for  sixty  scholars.  Nine  sprays  were  pro- 
vided, and  it  was  estimated,  from  the  experience  of  Carlsruhe,  that 
each  spray  could  be  used  five  times  in  an  hour,  and  that  it  would  be 
possible  to  bathe  from  two  to  four  children  at  a  time  under  each 
spray.  Thus  an  hour  would  be  ample  for  each  class.  As  the  school 
contained  1,500  scholars,  fifteen  hours  would  suffice  tO'  bathe  the 
whole  number. 
One  Bath  Estimating  one  bath  per  week  to  each 

a  Week.  scholar,  there  would  be  an  annual  expense  of  about  800  M.  ($190) 
for  the  necessary  water  and  gas,  and  for  heating  and  lighting  in  the 
winter  months.  The  use  of  gas  for  heating  the  water  had  proved 
very  successful  in  other  cities,  obviating  the  necessity  of  an  engineer 
to  look  after  the  fires.  There  would  be  no  other  expenses,  as  the 
teachers  could  supervise  the  work  of  bathing  their  children. 

The  cost  of  introduction  of  these  baths  in 
public  schools  is  inconsiderable  in  view  of  their  hygienic  im- 
portance. , 

Posen  estimated  the  initial  expense  as  fol- 
lows : 

Alterations  to  building $763 

Fixing  gas  and  water  pipes 428 

Fittings  for  bath 333 

Total $1,524 


Adolph 
5trasse. 


A  Munich  school  bath,  having  sixteen  sep- 
arate bathing  cabins,  placed  in  a  room  with  two  communicating 
open  dressing  rooms,  has  been  found  equal  to  affording  a  bath  a 
week  to  1,664  children.  The  bath  fixtures,  etc.,  in  this  case  were 
put  in  at  a  cost  of  $450. 

Altona  intends  to  place  spray  baths  in  all 
its  public  schools.  One  has  already  been  erected  as  an  experiment, 
in  the  Adolph  Strasse  school.  This  school  consists  of  a  center 
building  and  two  wings.  One  wing  contains  a  boys'  school 
of  thirteen  classes  with  953  pupils;  the  other  a  girls'  school  of  thir- 
teen classes  with  938  pupils.  The  spray  is  situated  in  the  center 
building. 

Stuttgart  has  lately  introduced  the  baths 
in  two  of  its  public  schools.  There  are  seventeen  sprays  in  the 
Roman  school,  and  dressing  accommodations  for  fifty-one  scholars. 
Thirteen  sprays  are  provided  in  the  Jacob  school. 

The  city  of  Brunswick  has  also  lately  intro- 


THE     Hl'KAV      I'.ATII. 


09 


duced  spray  Ij.'iths  into  some  of  its  liij^Hi  schools,  and  they  have 
proved  very  beneficial. 

The  i)roposal  to  introduce  spray  baths  into 
a  Boston  public  school  first  came  up  in  the  early  part  of  this  year. 
A  plan  was  sketched  by  Dr.  llartwell,  director  of  physical  training 
in  the  Boston  public  schools,  for  bath  and  dressinj^-rooms  in  the 
new  Paul  Revere  school  house  at  the  North  Enrl,  anrl  in  another 
new  school  at  the  West  End.  Dr.  Hartwell's  plan  was  used  as  a 
basis  for  securing-  estimates  for  cost  of  plumbing,  asphalting,  etc. 
The  plan  called  for  a  room  40  by  58  feet,  divided  by  partitions  into 
twenty-eight  bathing  cabins  and  three  dressing  rooms,  placed  at 
right  angles  to  the  bathrooms  and  opening  into  it.  Allowing  each 
bather  ten  minutes  in  a  bathing  cabin,  and  ten  minutes  in  a  dressing- 
room  before  and  ten  minutes  after  entering  the  bathroom,  104  chil- 
dren, or  two  school  classes,  could  be  bathed  in  an  hour,  and  2,000 
children  in  a  week,  providing  the  bathing  cabins  are  kept  occupied. 
With  the  asphalt  floors,  granolithic  partitions,  "Gegenstrom"  bath 
fixtures  and  rubber  curtains  on  brass  rods  in  front  of  each  dressing 
cabin,  the  estimated  cost  of  fitting  up  the  bath  and  dressing-rooms 
would  be  $2,600. 

The  School  Board  on  May  12  referred  the 
matter  to  the  Committee  on  Schoolhouses,  who  reported  on  Sep- 
tember 22  unfavorably.  Their  objections  in  part  were:  "Your 
Committee  hesitate  to  take  the  position  that  it  is  the  duty  of  the 
school  authorities  to  bathe  the  children  in  the  public  schools  be- 
cause they  may  not  be  clean,  for  if  this  be  granted,  we  see  no  reason 
why  we  should  not  clothe  them  if  they  be  improperly  clothed,  or 
feed  them  if  not  properly  nourished  at  home.  But,  outside  of  the 
legal  questions  involved,  your  Committee  do  not  believe  that  it  is 
in  the  interest  of  public  health  to  place  these  washhouses  in  the 
basements  of  our  public  school  buildings,  to  there  accumulate  the 
uncleanliness  which  may  be  brought  in  on  the  bodies  of  the  chil- 
dren. More  or  less  of  foul  odors  must  necessarily  come  from  this 
practice,  and  your  Committee  feel  that  the  suggestion  that  eventu- 
ally these  washhouses  be  used  for  the  general  public  is  not  in  the  in- 
terest of  the  proper  sanitation.'' 

To  this  a  member  replied  that.  "One  would 
infer  that  the  new  Paul  Revere  schoolhouse  was  not  to  be  con- 
nected with  the  sewer  at  all.  One  would  think  that  the  accumula- 
tion of  filth  was  to  be  kept  there  in  the  building It  is  perfectly 

absurd  to  say  that  it  is  impossible  in  the  basement  of  a  public 


Ftoston 

Public 

Schools. 


Legal 
Questions. 


tiO  MAYORS    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 

school  building,  built  as  you  have  to  build  them  in  that  section  of 
the  cit}' ;  that  a  bathhouse  cannot  be  provided  from  which  no  odor 
whatever  can  arise.  If  we  nmst  have  foul  odors,  let  us  have  them 
in  the  basement  and  not  in  the  schoolroom.  It  is  not  a  washhouse 
at  all,  by  the  way,  but  simply  bathing  facilities  in  the  basement  of 
a  school  building." 

The  matter  was  referred  to  the  Committee 
on  Hygiene,  who  reported  in  favor  of  the  baths  on  October  13, 
A  long  discussion  was  chiefly  devoted  to  the  question  of  the  exped- 
iency of  the  introduction  of  baths.  It  was  said  that  the  Board  had 
been  at  work  trying  to  put  in  proper  ventilating  apparatus  in  the 
schools  to  do  away  with  unclean  odors,  in  one  school  spending 
$4,500  for  this  purpose;  but  they  could  not  get  rid  of  the  odors. 
The  order  to  provide  bathing  accommodation  in  the  Paul  Revere 
schoolhouse  was  passed  by  a  vote  of  1 1  to  8. 

In  this  city  the  advisability  of  providing 
baths  in  school  basements  was  mooted  in  the  preliminary  report  of 
the  Sub-Committee  on  Public  Baths  and  Public  Comfort  Stations. 
!\Ir.  C.  B.  J.  Snyder,  Superintendent  of  School  Buildings,  has 
c      J  planned  to  leave  room  in  the  basement  of  a  new  East  Side  school 

for  which  ground  has  been  condemned,  but  no  further  move  has 
been  made  in  the  matter. 


Snyder. 


CHAPTER  VJl. 

MUNICII'AL  IJA'IIIS   IN  AMERICA. 

Tlic  first  city  in  Uic  United  States  to  estab- 
lish a  municipal  bath,  supphed  with  hot  and  cold  water  and  open 
all  the  year  round,  was  Yonkers.  This  city  raised  a  fund  of  $20,000  Yonkers. 
and  a  site  was  purchased.  Plans  were  prepared  for  a  floating  bath  on 
this  site,  but  by  reason  of  the  high  cost  of  this  style  of  bath  and 
the  necessary  expenses  of  dredging,  approaches,  main  entrances, 
etc.,  the  funds  on  hand  were  not  sufficient  to  carry  them  out.  The 
fact  that  the  bath  could  be  used  but  a  few  months  each  year,  to- 
gether with  the  increasing  pollution  of  the  river  with  sewage,  also 
had  considerable  weight  with  the  committee  and  the  plan  was  fin- 
ally abandoned. 

About  this  time  a  gentleman  from  Yonkers 
saw  the  People's  Baths  and  induced  the  Committee  and  Mr.  Cooper, 
Commissioner  of  Public  Works,  to  pay  them  a  visit.  The  new  baths 
opened  on  Labor  Day  are  modeled  after  the  People's  Baths  and  are 
25  by  53  feet.  They  were  designed  by  Hon.  S.  L.  Cooper,  Commis-  S.  L. 
sioner  of  Public  Works.  The  front  is  of  cream-tinted  pressed  brick  Cooper. 
and  the  trimmings  of  Tuckahoe  marble.  The  main  portion  of  the 
building  has  only  one  story  with  a  high  basement.  The  inside  walls, 
iron  work,  etc.,  are  painted  in  white  enamel,  so  as  to  be  easily 
washed  out  with  a  hose.  At  the  front,  separated  from  the  baths,  is 
the  office,  with  waiting  rooms  for  men  and  women.  The  janitor's 
apartments  are  on  the  top  floor.  The  outer  walls  are  hollow,  and 
there  are  two  large  ventilating  skylights.  The  floor  of  the  bath- 
room is  laid  with  granolithic  material  on  heavy  beams.  The  boiler, 
which  is  to  furnish  the  hot  water  and  also  the  heat  in  winter,  is  in  the 
basement  in  the  rear.  There  are  thirteen  shower  baths  and  one  tub 
bath  for  men,  and  seven  shower  baths  and  one  tub  for  women.  The 
shower  baths  are  divided  into  dressing  and  bathroom,  each  about 
four  feet  square.  The  cost  was:  Land,  $2,000;  building  and  equip- 
ment, $9,400;  total,  $11,400.  Five  cents  is  charged  for  towel  and 
soap,  and  twenty  minutes  is  allowed  to  each  bather. 

Up  to  the  present  time  the  bath  has  been 
well  patronized  and  has  proved  a  complete  success.  It  is  proposed 
to  build  a  second  bath  next  year. 

Buffalo    has   erected   spray  baths,   which      Buffalo. 
were  opened  on  New  Year's  Day,  1897.    The  building  is  68  feet 


62 


MAYORS  COMMITTEE  ON  PUBLIC  BATHS. 


Baths 
Free. 


long  and  30  feet  wide.  The  principal  part  of  the  structure  is  only 
one  story  high,  but  the  front  part  is  two  stories,  and  contains  the 
living  apartments  of  the  bath  attendants.  There  are  fourteen 
separate  shower  baths  and  six  shower  baths  in  one  large  compart- 
ment, these  latter  showers  being  intended  for  the  use  of  children. 
Besides  these  there  is  a  bath  tub,  which  can  be  used  by  mothers 
bringing  children  too  small  to  bathe  under  the  showers.  A  wash- 
room containing  three  laundry  tubs  and  a  drying  closet,  heated  with 
steam  coils  and  connected  with  a  vent  shaft,  is  a  part  of  the  ar- 
rangement. There  is  also  a  waiting-room  and  an  ofBce  from 
which  towels  and  soap  are  issued.  The  soap  used  is  powdered, 
and  only  enough  for  one  bath  is  issued  to  each  person.  The  ex- 
terior of  the  building  is  of  very  hard  clinker  brick  and  Medina 
sandstone.  Owing  to  the  limited  amount  ($8,000)  appropriated  for 
the  purpose,  it  was  found  necessary  to  exercise  the  strictest  economy 
in  designing  the  building. 

This  bath  is  entirely  free,  no  charge 
being  made  for  soap  or  use  of  towels.  It  is  estimated  that 
about  sixty  baths  an  hour  can  be  given  in  the  building.  The 
interior  of  the  bathing  apartment  has  no  plaster,  the  walls  being 
all  of  brick,  the  floors  of  concrete,  and  the  ceilings  of  timber.  The 
partitions  of  the  baths  are  of  slate,,  carried  by  iron  framing.  The 
part  of  the  building  containing  the  bathing  apartments  is  lighted 
and  ventilated  by  overhead  skylights.  The  bathhouse  is  heated  by 
steam  and  fitted  with  automatic  apparatus,  so  that  hot  water  is  sup- 
plied to  the  showers  at  all  times  at  a  uniform  temperature,,  which 
can  never  be  so  hot  as  to  scald  the  bather. 


This  little  place,  with  only  10,000  popula- 

Dunkirk.       tion,  intends  to  have  a  bathing  establishment.     It  is  proposed  to 

have  twelve  spray  baths.     The  movement,  initiated  by  the  local 

Young  ]\Ien's  Christian  Association,  has  been  endorsed  by  the 

Common  Council,  and  the  baths  will  be  proceeded  with  at  once. 


Boston. 


Free  warm  baths  were  opened  at  the 
Charlesbank  Gymnasium  recently  and  have  been  highly  appre- 
ciated. So  great  is  the  need  of  a  warm  bath  that  visitors  come  from 
all  over  the  city  and  from  Cambridge  and  Medford,  and  more  or  less 
from  all  the  surrounding  towns.  One  day  one  hundred  and  seventy- 
four  people  used  the  baths,  and  usually  there  are  a  great  many  visi- 
tors every  pleasant  day.  Small  cakes  of  soap  cost  two  cents,  and 
towels  are  supplied  free  of  charge,  whether  the  visitor  buys  soap 


MUNKJII'AL     I'.A'IIIS     I.N     AMKinCA.  <^{ 

or  not.  Some  people  jii^o  regularly  twice  a  week  and  there  are  new- 
comers about  every  day. 

'Jhe  Charlesbank  Gynmasium  was  the  first 
open-air  gynmasium  in  the  world  and  is  supported  by  the  city, 
though  run  by  the  Massachusetts  Emergency  and  Hygiene  Asso- 
ciation. 

In  June,  1896,  $65,oocj  was  approj^riated 
for  a  new  bathhouse,  to  be  open  all  the  year  round. 

Mayor  Quincy  appointed  a  Bath  Com- 
mittee, consisting  of  Mr.  R.  G.  Woods,  Mr.  E.  Billings,  Prof.  E.  M. 
Hartwell,  physical  director  of  the  schools,  Mrs.  M.  M.  Kehew,  Miss 
Pingree,  Mr.  M.  W.  Myers  and  Councilman  Ryan. 

A  site  has  been  chosen  on  Dover  Street, 
near  the  corner  of  Harrison  Avenue.  The  plan  calls  for  a  building 
43  by  no  feet.  On  the  first  floor  are  separate  waiting  rooms  for 
men  and  women,  together  with  laundry  and  engine  rooms  in  the 
rear.  On  the  second  floor  are  separate  bathrooms  for  men  and  for 
women.  In  the  front  part  of  the  building  there  is  a  third  floor 
containing  an  apartment  for  the  manager  of  the  baths  and  his 
family. 

There  will  be  50  baths,  including  17  for 
women,  giving  thus  capacity  for  bathing  150  people  per  hour.  The 
steam  supply  for  all  purposes  in  the  building  is  to  be  furnished  from 
the  boiler  room  of  the  fire  department  repair  shop,  situated  just  at 
the  rear  of  the  bathhouse  lot. 

Massachusetts  provides  by  statute  for  the  Brookline, 
erection  and  maintenance  by  towns  or  cities  of  public  baths,  w^hich  Mass. 
may  be  wholly  or  partly  self-supporting.  Brookline  took  advan- 
tage of  this  and  appointed  on  April  11,  1895,  a  committee  to  ex- 
amine the  subject.  The  committee  not  only  considered  the  special 
needs  of  the  town,  but  made  a  thorough  investigation  of  several  of 
the  best  bathing  establishments  in  this  countr}-  and  abroad,  and 
afterwards  selected  a  location  and  prepared  plans.  In  a  population 
of  16,000  there  are  many  persons  who  do  not  have  access  to  bath- 
rooms in  the  houses  in  which  they  live,  and  there  was  not  in  Brook- 
line, as  is  the  case  in  larger  cities,  any  bathing  establishment,  public 
or  private,  where  they  could  obtain  warm  baths.  Nor  was  there 
any  good  open  air  bathing.  The  little  swimming  bath  on  Bovlston 
Street,  in  the  brook,  in  1895  was  less  used  than  in  any  previous  vge^s 
season,  owing,  among  other  causes  of  dissatisfaction,  to  the  bad  con- 
dition of  the  water  and  the  muddv  bottom,  and  not  a  dozen  bovs 


64 


MAYORS    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 


Dolphins. 


Dr.  E.  M. 
Hartwel!. 


learned  to  swim.    The  accommodations,  too,  are  very  inadequate 
to  the  needs  of  the  population. 

The  location  of  the  new  baths  is  the  center 
of  population  of  the  town,  close  to  its  principal  playground  and  its 
new  high  school.  The  building  is  a  handsome,  well-lighted,  well- 
ventilated  T-shaped  building,  covering  8,000  square  feet.  It  is  of 
brick  with  Roxbury  stone  foundations.  Above  the  main  entrance, 
chiseled  into  a  large  stone  table  supported  by  dolphins,  are  the 
w'ords,  "Brookline  Public  Baths.  The  Health  of  the  People  the 
Beginning  of  Happiness." 

To  cater  to  those  people  who  cannot  or 
will  not  see  the  advantages  of  the  shower  bath,  a  few  slipper  baths 
are  provided,  there  being  fifteen  rain  baths  and  three  slipper 
baths.  The  sides  of  the  rain  baths  are  to  be  lined  with  marble,  and 
each  bath  is  to  have  a  dressing-room. 

The  swimming  bath  is  80  by  26  feet, 
the  depth  of  the  water  varying  from  three  to  six  feet.  Fifty  dressing- 
rooms  with  granolithic  floors,  and  fitted  with  lock  and  key,  are  lo- 
cated around  three  sides.  They  are  entered  from  the  outside  cor- 
ridor, so  that  the  walk  around  the  swimming  tank,  and  the  water 
itself  are  kept  clear  of  mud  and  dirt.  The  bath  itself  has  a 
bottom  of  adamantine  mosaic,  the  sides  being  lined  with  English 
white-glazed  brick.  A  gallery  for  spectators  runs  all  around  the 
swimming  bath  over  the  dressing  rooms.  In  addition  there  is  a 
steam  laundry  for  the  towels  and  tights,  toilet  rooms, 
and  a  room  about  ninety  by  thirty  feet  upstairs  that  may  be 
fitted  up  later  as  a  gymnasium.  A  special  feature  found 
in  two  of  the  best  and  most  recently  completed  bathing 
establishments  of  Europe  (at  Stuttgart  and  Hamburg)  is  the 
addition  of  a  passageway  in  rear  of  the  dressing-rooms  that  sur- 
round the  swimming  tanks,  as  well  as  in  front  of  them.  This  fea- 
ture has  the  hearty  approval  of  Dr.  E.  M.  Hartwell,  Director  of 
Physical  Training  in  the  Boston  Public  Schools,  and  has  obvious 
advantages,  not  only  in  convenience,  but  in  keeping  clean  the  pas- 
sageway around  the  swimming  tanks  and  consequently  the  water, 
a  most  important  point,  while  also  securing  better  ventilation  for  the 
dressing-rooms,  and  better  order  among  the  bathers. 

A  smaller  swimming  tank,  twenty-two  feet 
by  ten  feet,  is  provided  for  swimming  when  the  larger  bath  is  empty 
or  floored  over.  The  walls  and  ceilings  throughout  the  building 
are  plastered;  the  trusses  supporting  the  roof  over  the  swimming 
bath  are  to  be  of  hard  pine  planed.     Very  large  skylights  in  the 


MIlNICII'Al.    I'.A'IIIS    IN    y\.\ii;KH:A.  6& 

roof,  windows  on  the  end  p^ablc  and  in  the  gallery  will  fnrnish  an 
abundance  of  liglit  and  air;  i)rovision  for  electric  and  gas  lighting 
is  also  made. 

The  water,  constantly  changing,  is  from 
driven  wells,  and  is  heated  by  steam  as  it  enters,  the  temperature 
being  eqiualizcd  and  sustained  by  artificial  means.  The  surface 
will  be  constantly  swept  by  a  superficial  current  of  fresh  water  from 
one  end  of  the  tank,  thus  removing  any  floating  impurities. 

The  cost  of  the  building,  exclusive  of  land, 
was  $40,000,  voted  by  the  town.  The  bath  was  opened  on  New- 
Year's  Day,  1897,  and  systematic  instruction  in  swimming  will  be 
given  to  the  three  thousand  school  children  of  the  town.  The  an- 
nual expenses  for  maintenance  are  estimated  at  from  $4,500  to 
$5,000,  to  be  largely  offset,  probably,  by  fees  for  use. 

> 

An  association  was  chartered  in  March,  Philadel- 
1895,  as  the  Public  Baths  Association  of  Philadelphia.  A  lot  60  P*^'^- 
by  40  feet,  at  the  southeast  corner  of  Berlin  and  Gaskill  Streets,  in 
the  heart  of  Philadelphia's  poorest  district,  has  been  purchased  at 
a  cost  of  $5,750,  and  plans  for  the  first  building  are  complete.  Some 
of  the  features  are  taken  directly  from  the  People's  Baths  of  New 
York,  some  from  those  in  London.  While  the  proposed  building 
is  to  be  nearly  twice  as  large  as  the  People's  Baths  of  New  York, 
the  cost  of  its  construction  will  be  about  the  same,  and  it  is  hoped 
that  the  large  accommodations — 1,000  baths  per  day — will  make 
the  receipts  nearly  equal  to  the  running  expenses. 

The  first  story  of  the  Gaskill  Street  Baths 
will  be  devoted  to  men,  the  second  to  women;  each  has  a  separate 
entrance  and  waiting  room,  both  the  entrances  being  overlooked  by 
a  common  office.  The ,  interior  is  to  be  of  glazed  brick,  iron, 
ground  glass  and  concrete. 

Connected  with  this  institution  there  will 
be  a  public  laundry  where,  for  a  small  sum,  separate  washtubs,  steam  steam 
dryers,  mangles  and  ironing  tables,  may  be  hired  by  women  who  Dryers. 
have  no  place  in  their  contracted  rooms  to  do  their  family  wash- 
ing. The  towels  from  the  bathhouse  will  also  be  washed  here.  A 
high  basement  is  utilized  for  this  purpose.  Accommodations  for 
ten  workers  will  be  provided. 

There  are  to  be  fifty-seven  rain  batlirooms, 
more  than  half  being  for  men.  Five  tubs  will  be  provided  for  the 
use  of  children  and  women  who  may  not  care  to  use  the  shower 


6U 


MAYOR'S    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 


bath.     This  should  give  a  capacity  of  more  than  i,ooo  baths  per 
day. 

The  building  will  cost  not  less  than 
$29,000,  exclusive  of  the  cost  of  the  ground.  The  Association  has 
on  hand,  after  paying  for  the  land,  the  sum  of  $3,643.70,  and  pro- 
visional promises  conditioned  on  the  raising  of  the  full  sum  needed 
of  a  considerably  larger  amount. 


Chicago. 


City 
Council. 


The  Alunicipal  Order  League  of  Chicago 
urged  the  adoption  of  a  system  of  public  baths,  and  a  committee  was 
appointed,  consisting  of  Dr.  Gertrude  Gail  Wellington,  Dr.  Julia 
Lowe  and  Dr.  Sarah  Hackett  Stevenson.  In  March,  1893,  an  ap- 
propriation of  $12,000  was  secured  from  the  finance  committee  of 
the  City  Council,  and  the  "Carter  H.  Harrison  Bath"  was  opened 
in  the  following'  January.  It  is  a  handsome  structure  of  pressed 
brick  and  brown  stone,  twenty-five  feet  wide  by  one  hundred  and 
ten  feet  deep.  In  the  basement  are  the  laundry  and  two  furnaces, 
one  for  heating  the  building,  the  other  for  heating  water  from  the 
baths.  In  the  front  of  the  main  floor  is  a  waiting-room  sixteen  feet 
square,  seating  forty  people.  Beyond  this  are  the  bathrooms,*  with 
necessary  toilet  accommodations.  There  are  sixteen  shower  and 
two  tub  baths,  and  a  plunge  twenty  by  thirty  feet.  This  last  has 
not  been  a  success,  owing  to  its  small  size  and  to  the  aversion  of 
people  to  sharing  so  small  a  body  of  water.  Allowing  twenty-five 
minutes  to  each  bather,  the  capacity  of  the  bath  is  2,600  persons  a 
week.  Two  minutes  are  allowed  for  undressing  after  entering  the 
bathroom,  when  the  water  is  turned  on  for  eight  minutes.  One 
minute's  notice  is  given  before  the  water  is  turned  off,  to  allow  time 
for  a  rinse-of¥.    Fifteen  minutes  are  allowed  for  dressing. 

Women  are  allowed  to  use  the  baths  two 
days  a  week,  men  using  them  the  remainder  of  the  time.  For  wo- 
men the  temperature  is  105  degrees,  and  on  other  days  100  degrees. 
Many  people  resort  to  this  bath,  not  only  for  the  purpose  of 
cleanliness,  but  for  relief  from  rheumatism  and  other  diseases,  with, 
as  they  claim,  good  results. 

The  bath  cost  $10,856,  and  is  run  at  a  cost 
of  about  $3,500,  the  total  expense  for  each  bath  averaging  three  and 
four-fifth  cents.  Since  opening  to  June,  1896,  226,538  baths  have 
been  given,  49,189  to  women  and  girls.  In  July,  1896,  the  remark- 
able number  of  11,250  baths  were  recorded. 

In  the  summer  of  1896  the  Douglas  Park 
Natatorium  and  Gymnasium  was  opened.     There  are  two  pools, 


MIINICII'AL    I'.A'niS    IN    A  MKIIK 'A. 


07 


the  OIK!  for  men,  55  by  J 20  icct,  llnxc  to  eight  feet  deep,  with  1 17 
dressing-rooms.  'J"l)e  women's  pool  is  55  by  60  feet,  two  and  one- 
half  to  seven  feet  dcei)  and  has  seventy-five  dressing-rooms.  The 
baths  are  (jpen  to  the  air.  iivery  bather,  before  entering,  must  use 
the  shower  bath,  the  simple  shower  and  needle  baths  being  both 
in  use.  There  are  six  at  each  pool,  separated  by  rub1)cr  curtains. 
The  water  for  these  and  also  for  the  pools  is  warmed. 

A  new  shower-bath  establishment  will  be 
in  operation,  it  is  expected,  by  January,  1897.  '^"  appropriation 
of  $12,000  has  been  made  by  the  city.  At  first  it  was  proposed  to 
have  two  wings  for  men  and  women,  but  the  appropriation  being 
insufficient,  the  baths  will  be  used  on  two  days  by  women,  and 
by  the  men  on  the  remaining  five  days.  The  building  is  on  Went- 
worth  Avenue,  between  Thirty-eighth  and  Thirty-ninth  Streets, 
and  is  50  by  100  feet.  The  exterior  is  of  bufT  pressed  brick  and 
terra  cotta,  and  the  interior  in  hard  wood  and  oil.  There  will  be 
thirty-two  shower  baths,  and  a  free  laundry  with  dryers  and  steam 
washers. 


Needle 
[iaths. 


Newark  is  following  the  example  of  Chicago 
and  foreign  cities  in  placing  spray  baths  as  an  adjunct  to  a  swim- 
ming bath.  The  pool  is  twenty-eight  by  fifty  feet,  and  is  from  three 
to  five  feet  deep.  At  the  rear  are  eight  spray  baths,  three  feet  by  six 
feet.  There  are  thirty-six  dressing  rooms,  four  feet  by  three  feet. 
The  building  is  of  brick,  with  brownstone  trimmings,  and  will  cost 
$7,500. 


Newark, 
N.J. 


Trenton,  after  discussing  the  question  and 
getting  plans,  finally  decided,  owing  to  the  financial  stringency,  to 
erect  the  baths  in  Mr.  Thomas  Terradell's  Industrial  Building,  and 
then  turn  them  over  to  him  for  future  maintenance. 


Trenton, 
N.J. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


Typical 
Instances. 


MUNICIPAL   SYSTEM   OF   FOREIGN   BATHS. 

From  the  foregoing  part  of  the  report,  it 
will  be  clearly  seen  that  the  provision  for  baths  in  American  cities 
is  totally  inadequate.  In  the  leading  English  and  Continental 
cities  these  provisions  are  made  as  a  matter  of  course,  and  a  few 
typical  instances  have  been  chosen.  The  general  system  of  baths 
is  the  same,  and  in  no  case  are  they  free.  From  a  careful  study  of 
the  following  pages,  it  will  be  noted  that  the  operating  expenses  are 
nearly  met  in  almost  every  case  by  fees.* 


Birniing= 

ham, 

England. 


Best  in 
England. 


The  city  of  Birmingham,  with  a  population 
of  487,897  in  1893,  or  about  the  same  as  that  of  Boston,  possesses 
four  complete  sets  of  well  appointed  public  baths,  and  one  open  air 
swimming  bath.  Two  of  the  public  baths  have  a  Turkish  bath 
attached  to  them.  The  baths  are  very  efficiently  managed,  the 
latest  improvements  having  been  introduced  at  the  older  baths, 
while  the  Monument  Road  Baths  are  among  the  best  in  England. 
The  sites  for  two  additional  suites  of  baths  have  been  pur- 
chased, and  building  will  be  proceeded  with  at  once.  There  is  no 
public  washhouse  now  in  Birmingham;  the  first  and  only  one, 
erected  at  the  Kent  Street  establishment,  was  closed  in  1870,  and  a 
Turkish  department  provided  in  its  place.  The  towels  and  other 
articles  used  at  the  several  bathing  establishments  are  washed  by 
machinery  at  the  Kent  Street  Baths,  under  the  charge  of  one  laun- 
dress employed  by  the  Committee.  She  engages  all  the  assistance 
she  requires,  and  upwards  of  50,000  articles  are  washed  per  annum 
at  a  cost  of  is.  2d.  per  dozen.  The  following  tables  will  give  some 
idea  of  the  extensive  work  carried  on  by  the  Birmingham  baths: 

*  In  the  following  accounts  of  English  baths,  the  money  is  not 
changed  to  American,  as  this  can  be  readily  done  at  sight  in  a  sufficiently 
accurate  manner  by  multiplying  by  five  ($4.87^:fl);  the  German  mark 
is  taken  as  equal  to  23.8  cents;  the  Norwegian  crown  to  26.8  cents.  For 
greater  convenience,  temperature  is  always  given  according  to  the  Fah- 
renheit scale,  and  the  metric  measures  and  weights  are  changed  to  those 
in  general  use  here. 


2  V.     O 


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t  This  expenditure  includes  the  sum  of  f SIO  for  extraordinarr  ex- 
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70 


MAYOR'S    COMMITTEE    OX    PUBLIC    BATHS. 


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MUNICIPAL.   SYSTEM   OF  FOREIGN    BATUH. 


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MAYOR'S  COMMITTEE  ON  PUBLIC  BATHS. 


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MUNICII'AI.   SYSTEM   OV  I'OUEKJ.N    BA'JllS. 
BIIIMINGHAM.    ENGLAND. 


73 


Kent-8t. 


Woodcock-at.    Northwood-it.  Monument-rd.    Small  Heath 


Date  of  opening 

Cost  of  build- 
ings,   including 
furnishing,   but 
exclusive  of  ma- 
chinery, etc 

Cost  of  boilers, 
engines,  i)ump- 
ing  iniichinery, 
heating  a  r- 
rangements  and 
sinking  wolls, 
etc. 


First  Class 

Swimming 

Bath  : 


.Second  Class 

Swimming 

Bath  : 


Fii-st-class 
Baths  : 

Private  hot 

and  cold 

water  or 

slipper 

baths 


May  12,1851 


jC  17,2(;1 


^  4,410 
About      300 
yards  of  this 
land  was  re- 
sold. 


86  ft.   6   : 
long  by    38 
ft.  wide. 

Dressing 
boxes,  54 


87  ft.  long 
by  35  ft.  wide 


22  dressing 
boxes,  and 
accommoda- 
tions for  75 
without 
dressing 
boxes. 


Men's,  30 
"Women's,  6 


Aug.27,1860 


/  7,647 


£  2,440 
About      850 
yards  reserv- 
ed for  future 
extension. 


38  ft  long  by 
14  ft.  wide 


Mch  5,  1862 


/;  9,638 


£  1,245 


Dressing 
boxes,  6 


80  ft.  long, 

35  ft.  6  in. 

wide. 

40  dressing 
boxes,  and 
accommoda- 
tions for  75 
without 
dressing 
boxes. 


Men's,  16 
Women's,  6 


62  ft.  long 

by  31  ft 

wide. 

Dressing 
boxes,  48. 


68  ft.   long, 

32  ft.  9  in. 

wide. 

24  dressing 
boxes,  ac- 
commoda- 
tions for  75 
without 
dressing 
boxes. 


Men's,  21 
Women's,  4 


Mch  1,  1883;July  9.  1883 


£  19,969         £  6(K) 


£  4,272 


Cost  of  sink- 
ing a  well 
for  a  pro- 
posed snite 
of  baths  on  a 
reserve  por- 
tion of  park 
land  ;^1350. 
Cost  of  erec- 
tion of  a 
water  tower, 
water  tank, 
gas  engine 
land       deep 

water 
Ipumps,  ;^85 


80  ft.  long 
by  32  ft.  9 
in.  wide. 

Dressing 
boxes,  50. 


68  ft.  long  il33  ft.  long, 
by  32  ft.    i  72  ft.  wide, 
wide. 

Accommo-  \ 

dation  for  i 

120  bathers.! 


Men's,  17   I 
Women's,  41 


MAYOR'S  COMMITTEE  ON  PUBLIC  BATHS. 


Kentr6t. 

Woodcock-st. 

Northwood-st. 

Monument>rd. 

SmaU  Heath. 

Second-class  ) 
Baths :      V 

Men's,  24 

Men's,  16 

Men's.  22 

Men's,  17 

Women's,  7 

Women's,  8 

Women's,  4 

Women's,  7 

Turkish  Bath 

Department  : 

1  depart- 
ment, con- 
structed in 
1879  out  ot 
old  build- 
ings former- 
ly used  as  a 

public 
workhouse, 
and  consist- 
ing ot  14 
dressing 
rooms,  2  hot 

rooms,  1 
shampooing 

room,  1 
plunge  bath, 
1  large  cool- 
ing room,  etc 

1  depart- 
ment, am- 
sisting  of  : 
18  dressing 
rooms,  3  hot 

rooms,  1 
shampooing 

room,  1 

plunge  bath, 

1  large 

cooling 

room,  etc. 

Liverpool, 
England. 


SCALE  OF  CHARGES  FOR  ADMISSION  TO  THE  SEVERAL 
DEPARTMENTS. 

First  Class  Swimming  Bath:— 

Single  tickets 6d. 

Book  of  20  tickets 8s. 

Members  of  Swimming  Clubs   4d. 

Pupils  of  Grammar  Schools,  etc.,  100  tickets  for  ....   25s. 

Hire  of  bathing  drawers  Id. 

Hire  of  ladies'  bathing  dresses 3d. 

Use  of  an  extra  towel Id. 

Second  Class  Swimming  Bath: — 

Single  tickets,  with  the  use  of  a  private  dressing-room    3d. 

Single  tickets,  without  a  private  dressing-room 2d. 

School  boys  are  admitted  at  special  times;  books  of 

1000  Vad.  tickets f 2  Is.  8d. 

School  boys  and  girls  are  admitted  at  special  times; 

books  of  200  Id.  tickets 16s.  Sd. 

First  Class  Private  Bath: — 

Warm  bath,  with  two  towels 6d. 

Cold  bath,  with  two  towels 3d. 

Second  Class  Private  Baths: — 

Warm  bath,  with  one  towel 3d. 

Cold  bath,  with  one  towel Id. 

Shower  baths  are  included  in  the  above  named  charges,  and  soap 
tablets  are  supplied  at  Id.  extra. 

Turkish  Bath  Department,  including  shampooing  and  the  use  of 
a  private  dressing  room.  Hot  rooms  (three),  lounge  and  smoke  rooms, 
needle  douche,  shower  and  plunge  bath,  one  shilling. 

The  present  Baths  Committee  was  elected 
in  November,  1892.  The  members  found  the  property  committed 
to  their  charge  in  a  much  neglected  condition.     An  entirely  new 


MlJNlCli'AJv    SV.S'J'IOM    OF  FOUKKiN    J'.A'IIIS. 


system  was  immediately  adojjte'l.  A  careful  inspection  of  all  the 
baths  and  washhouscs  was  made,  and  various  hygienic  and  other 
improvements  introduced.  So  great  was  the  popularity  of  the  Bur- 
lington Street  open  air  baths,  built  by  the  new  committee,  that  it 
was  decided  to  look  out  for  sites  for  more  open-air  baths  in  other 
populous  districts  of  the  city.  In  the  course  of  1896  the  Com- 
mittee expected  to  supply  heated  salt  water  to  the  Burlington 
Street  Baths.  The  Committee  was  not  content  with  providing 
public  baths,  but  has  erected  standpipes  in  crowded  districts  to 
supply  salt  water  to  the  doors  of  the  people,  and  this  has  enabled 
many  mothers  to  give  their  children  salt  water  baths  at  home. 
Liverpool  was  probably  the  first  city  in  England  to  own  its  public 
baths.  A  building  was  purchased  froin  a  private  bathing  estab- 
lishment in  1794  at  a  cost  of  about  i4,ooo,  and  about  £  1,000  was 
expended  on  alterations.  These  baths  were  removed  in  1820  to 
make  way  for  docks,  and  it  was  not  until  1828  that  new  baths — the 
Pierhead  Baths — were  opened.  Owing,  among  other  things,  to  a 
treacherous  foundation,  the  structure  cost  £24,481  up  to  the  date 
of  opening,  and  has  continued  to  cost  a  large  amount  annually. 
Since  1851  the  question  of  reconstructing  these  baths  has  been 
periodically  before  the  Committee,  but  small  repairs  only  have  been 
made,  sufficient  to  keep  the  bath  going.  Several  of  the  baths,  in- 
cluding the  ladies'  swimming  pool,  are  in  such  a  dangerous  condi- 
tion that  they  are  not  used. 

The  Committee  has,  without  any  sacrifice 
of  efficiency,  shortened  the  hours  of  labor  of  its  employees,  and 
studied  their  comfort,  and  this  with  a  saving  of  ii,ooo  on  the  cost 
of  administration. 

The  scale  of  charges  varies  according  to 
the  location  of  the  baths,  and  the  accommodation  provided.  Cold 
fresh  water  baths  are  given  at  id.  upwards,  at  five  of  the  baths,  but 
are  not  much  favored  even  at  this  rate.  Private  warm  baths  and 
swimming  baths  range  from  2d.  to  is.  6d.  and  vapor  baths  cost  is. 
to  2S. 

In  1893  the  Committee  decided  to  issue 
swimming  club  contracts,  giving  the  holders  the  privilege  of  bath- 
ing in  a  stated  bath  two  evening  per  week,  from  April  ist  to  Oc- 
tober 31st  (sixty-two  baths)  for  the  sum  of  5s.  per  contract,  equal 
to  under  one  penny  per  bath,  not  less  than  t\vent}"-five  tickets  being 
issued  to  one  club.  In  1895  775  of  these  contracts  were  issued, 
but  were  only  used  20,295  times,  less  than  half  the  number  to 
which  the  holders  were  entitled. 


Open  Air 
Baths. 


Fresh 

Water 

Baths. 


76 


MAYOR'S  COMMITTEE  ON  PUBLIC  BATHS. 


Annual 
Contracts. 


Experl= 
ment. 


Annual  contracts  were  issued,  for  the  first 
time,  in  1893,  at  the  sum  of  £1  is.  each.  In  1895  184  of  these  were 
issuedand  were  used  16,812  times,  or  an  average  of  just  91  times. 
In  1894  the  same  privileges  were  extended  to  any  of  the  city's  per- 
manent employees  for  the  sum  of  7s.  6d.  but  were  not  very  largely 
availed  of.  Only  forty-three  of  these  contracts  were  issued  in  1895, 
and  these  were  used  only  1,443  times,  or  less  than  thirty-four  times 
by  each  holder. 

Special  tickets  for  the  use  of  schools  are 
sold  in  packages  of  250  at  one  half  penny  each,  entitling  the  holders 
to  bathe  in  a  body  in  charge  of  a  responsible  person  in  the  second- 
class  plunge  in  any  establishment  except  the  Pierhead,  between 
7  and  8  a.  m.,  and  5  and  6  p.  m.,  Mondays  to  Fridays,  and  between 
7.30  and  9  a,  m.,  Saturdays,  but  arrangement  must  be  made  with 
the  superintendent  what  time  each  school  may  bathe.  The  number 
of  these  bathers  was  38,500  in  1895,  a  large  increase  on  previous 
years.  In  addition  to  this,  penny  and  two-penny  school  tickets  are 
issued,  and  64,792  were  used  in  1895,  making  a  total  of  school 
bathers  of  103,292. 

The  Baths  Committee  has  now  resolved 
(as  an  experiment)  to  grant  free  plunge  baths  to  children  attending 
schools  within  half  a  mile  of  the  Margaret  Street  Baths,  and  this 
will  undoubtedly  educate  the  children  in  habits  of  cleanliness,  and 
tend  to  make  them  regular  visitors  in  the  future. 


MUNIOIPAI.   WVS'l'iOM    OF  FfJUEKlN    UA'l  IIS. 


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78 


MAYOR'S    COMMITTEE    OX    PUBLIC    BATHS. 


RECEIPTS  AND  EXPENDITURES  FOR  1895. 


^tablishment. 

Receipts. 

Expenditure. 

Excess  of 
Expenditures 
over  Receipts. 

Excess  of 
Receipts  over 
Expenditure. 

Pierhead    

CornwaUis  Street   

Margaret  Street 

£  s. 
1153  11 
1723     6 

829     0 

825  12 
1024  12 
1166  15 
1035  17 

266     8 

d. 

5 

1 
4 
4 

£       s. 
1081  18 
1458  13 

844  12 
1058     4 
1 1  sy    :-5 

d. 
9 

11 

9 

7 
2 

5 
5 
3 
6 
5 

£       s. 


"is  i2 

232  12 

157  11 
80     3 

421  10 

158  15 
75  12 
38  15 

d. 

■'■ 

3 

0 
8 
0 
4 
6 
5 

f       s.    d. 

71  12     8 

264  12     2 

Westminster  Road   

Steble  Street  

Lodge  Lane  

Burroughs    Gardens    

Fredericlv  Street   

Burlington  Street  

Incidental    

9  1246  19 
5 1457     7 
11    425     4 
..       75  12 
..       38  15 



Totals 

8025     4 

5  8869  12 

2 

1180  12 

7 

336    4  10 

Total  excess  of  expenditures  over  receipts,  £844  7s.   9d. 


NUMBER   OF   BATHERS  DURING   THE   YEAR  1895. 


Limited 
to  Boys. 


London, 
England. 


Pierhead    

Margaret  Street  . .  . . 
Cornwallis  Street   . . 

Lodge  Lane  

Westminster  Road  . 

Steble  Street   

Burroughs  Gardens 


Men. 


Private 
Batlis. 


Plunge 
Batlis. 


3,744 
12,345 
25,815 
18,207 

18,218 
13,924 
16,400 


Totals  1108,653 


45,649 
49,953 
66,751 
45,568 
49,265 
41,544 
34.131 


Women. 


Private 
Baths. 


168 
1,396 
4,372 
1,030 

874 

492 

2,551 


332,8611  10,883 


Plunge 
Baths. 


8,027 


8,027 


Total. 


49,561 
63,694 
104,965 
64,805 
68,357 
55,960 
53,982 


460,424 


*Closed. 

The  free  open  air  swimming  bath  at  Bur- 
h'ngton  Street,  limited  to  boys  under  the  age  of  fifteen  years,  was 
opened  on  July  8th.  The  water  was  not  heated,  but,  notwith- 
standing this,  the  bath  was  well  patronized.  During  the  months  of 
July,  and  August  the  average  weekly  attendance  was  over  i6,ooo. 
The  class  to  which  these  boys  belong  is  evident  from  the  fact  that 
nine-tenths  of  them  come  without  shoes  or  stockings. 

In  "Municipal"  London  over  half  a  mil- 
lion pounds,  or  two  and  a  half  million  dollars,  is  invested  in  public 
baths  and  laundry  establishments,  which  cost  iiio,ooo  yearly  to 
maintain.  Besides  the  parishes  of  which  details  are  given  the  fol- 
lowing have  baths  and  washhouses  in  operation: 


MUNICll'AL   SY8TEM   OF  FORKKiN    KATIIS. 


79 


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80 


MAYORS    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 


Besides  these  parishes,  the  following  have 
commissioners  appointed  and  bathhouses  in  course  of  erection: 
Bethnal  Green,  Clerkenwell,  Deptford,  Fulham,  Hackney,  Lam- 
beth, Ratcliff  and  Shoreditch. 

Following  are  details  of  some  of  the  more 
important  London  baths: 


St.  Mary, 
Stratford, 
Bow. 


The  Vestry  voted  to  establish  baths  and 
washhouses  on  October  30th,  1888,  and  the  baths  were  opened  on 
July  27th,  1892.    The  initial  expenses  were: 

£       s.    d. 

Land    4,270     o  10 

Buildings 29,887     3     7 

Engineering  plant 6,599     o     o 

Furniture,  utensils  and  fittings.  .     1,130     i      i 

Total £41,886     5     6 


Steam 
Driven. 


For  this  five  loans,  aggregating  £42,000, 
were  obtained  from  the  London  County  Council  at  3^  per  cent, 
interest.  In  1895-6,  £1,904  of  the  principal  was  repaid,  and  £1,228 
3s.  6d.  interest.  The  debt  will  be  entirely  liquidated  in  1922,  the 
loans  being  repayable  in  from  ten  to  thirty  years. 

The  accommodation  provided  is  as  fol- 
lows: First-class  swimming  pool,  water  area  90  feet  by  30  feet 
(charge  6d.),  with  52  dressing  boxes. 

Second-class  swimming  pool,  water  area  86  feet  by  30  feet 
(charge  2d.),  with  71  dressing  boxes. 

Fifteen  men's  first-class  private  baths;  warm,  6d. ;  cold,  3d. 

Thirty  men's  second-class  private  baths;  warm,  2d.;  cold,  id. 

Four  women's  first-class  private  baths;  warm,  6d.;  cold,  3d. 

Eight  women's  second-class  private  baths;  warm,  2d.;  cold,  id. 
The  public  laundry  has  forty  washing 
troughs  and  forty  drying  horses,  together  with  steam  driven  wring- 
ers and  mangles,  ironing  stoves,  tables  and  other  conveniences. 
The  charge  is  i|d.  per  hour,  which  includes  a  plentiful  supply  of 
hot  and  cold  water.  In  1895-6  there  were  25,711  washers,  against 
27,639  for  the  previous  year,  al  decrease  of  1,928,  caused  by  the  fine 
weather,  but  the  number  of  hours  occupied  was  98,505^  against 
97,673,  an  increase  of  632^  hours.  Of  these  25,711  women,  4,975 
only  stayed  one  hour,  1,873  ^^^  ^'^'^  one-half  hours,  and  2,523  two 
hours,  while  142  stayed  twelve  hours. 


MUNlUll'AL   SV.STEM   OF  I'UKEIG.N    JJATII^5. 


81 


The  followinj^  summarizes  the  number  of 
baths  taken  in  the  three  full  years,  during  which  the  baths  have  been 
open: 


Private  batHs— men .' 

Private  ibaths— women  

Swimming  baths— men   

Swlmmiap  baths— women    ... 

Vapor  iMith   

Spray  baths 

Family  tickets,  vapor  baths  . . . 

Family  tickets,  men's  private 
baths    

Family  tickets,  men'si  swim- 
ming baths  

Family  tickets,  women's  pri- 
vate baths 

Fiamlly     tlckeits,     women's 
swimming  baths  

Club  bathers 

School  bathers  

Board  School  bathers 


1896-96. 

'48;6(!3 

12,494 

49,468 

3,2:u 

24 
36 
21 

3,816 

5,14(5 

1,139 

268 
3,794 
7,232 
9,42.-) 


1894-06. 


■aSTTsr 

9,881 

35,045 

1,358 

40 

48 


3,569 
4,671 

898 

348 
3,609 
3,320 
3,411 


1899-04. 

36,485 

10,615 

54,066 

633 

66 

02 


2,910 

5,647 

988 

646 
2,147 
2,018 
3,380 


Totals 


144,757 


105,921 


119,48:^ 


It  should  be  noted  that  the  summer  of 
1894  was  exceptionally  cold  and  the  winter  following  the  severest 
for  years. 

The  working  expenses  were: 


1895-G. 

1894-5. 

1893-1. 

Wages  and  salaries 

Coal 

£       s. 

1076  10 

460  17 

380     5 

339     2 

94     6 

32     4 

109  13 

48  12 

48     0 

27     3 

10  10 

36  17 

d. 

8 
9 
6 
0 
6 
9 
5 
6 
0 
4 
0 

0 

£         S. 

1054     3 

486     4 

380     5 

296  16 

100  11 

51     7 

81     0 

65  17 

48  0 

io  io 
2   2 

49  19 

d. 
4 
9 
6 
0 
1 
1 
0 
5 
0 

0 
0 

9 

£        s.    d. 

1042  12     2 

455     8     2 

Rates  and  taxes  

312     1     8 

Water 

265     6     8 

Gas  

Soap  and  soda 

99     9  11 
46     7     1 

Repairs   

Printing  and  advertising  . . 
Insurances             

78  19     2 
69     7     6 
40  10    0 

Oil,  etc 

Accountant 

10  10    0 

Fog  abaitement  

Statement  rating  returns  . . 
Sundries 

5     5    0 
36     1     0 

Totals 

1  £2664     3 

7 

£2626  16 

11 

£2461  18     4 

RECEIPTS  FROM  BATHERS  AND  WASHERS,  SALE  OF 
SOAP.  SODA,  ETC. 

£      s.  d  f      s.  d 

1893-4       2420  12  0      1S95-6 2045  10  9 

1894-5 2024  IS  2 


82 


MAYOR'S    COMMITTEE    ON   PUBLIC    BATHS. 


Chelsea. 


Qreen- 
-wich. 


Chelsea  public  baths  were  only  opened  in 
1893,  and  have  been  well  patronized.  The  number  of  bathers  in 
1894-5  was  93,913,  and  the  charges  are  2d.  and  6d.  It  is  now  pro- 
posed to  erect  another  set  of  baths  with  washhouses  at  Kensal 
Town.  The  land  has  been  purchased,  and  plans  drawn  up.  The 
cost  is  estimated  at  £12,700.  The  Commissioners  propose  to  util- 
ize heat  obtained  from  a  patent  furnace  which  will  consume  the 
waste  products  of  the  district.  This  will  mean  a  saving  of  £3,000. 
Washhouses  have  not  yet  been  established. 

RECEIPTS. 


Year  ending  March  25,  '95. 

Year  ending  March  25,  '94. 

From   Bathers   

£      s.  d. 

1213  15  10 

4  15     6 

1  17     7 

16  10 

£      s.  d. 
1121     4     3 

From  rents 

11   10     0 

From  interest 

14     1 

From  weighing  machine  . . . 

Totals 1        £1221     5     9 

£1138  18     4 

EXPENDITURES. 


Insurance,  rates,  taxes 

Repairs    and   maintenance 

of  buildings 

Gas 

Coal 

Water  

Salaries  and  wages 

Furniture  

Printing  and  stationery  . . . . 

Soap  and  soda 

Towels,  bathing  drawers,  etc, 
Sundries  


Year  ending  March  25,  '95. 


£        S.    d. 
131  18     6 


Year  ending  March  25,  '94. 


355  12  0 

122     6  6 

378     3  8 

274  14  8 

1542  10  0 

13  3 

49     3  1 

23     3  11 

28  15  0 

22  18  9 


Totals 


£2929  19     4 


~I     8:~d: 

95  17     6 

559     0  1 

110  12  7 

306     6  8 

259     9  4 

1322  16  0 

49     4  8 

127     1  2 

24     8  4 

137  19  10 

6    5  0 


£2999     1     2 


Baths  and  washhouses  were  established  in 
1850.  Last  year  over  90,000  persons  used  the  baths,  though  a 
falling  off  of  18,000  in  numbers  was  caused  by  the  opening  of  the 
Woolwich  baths  and  the  cold  season.  Charges  are  from  id.  to  6d., 
and  the  baths  are  open  in  summer  from  6  a.  m.  to  9  p.  m.,  Satur- 
day until  10  p.  m.,  Sunday  from  7  to  10  a.  m. 

Loans  were  taken  as  follows: 

August,  1850    £7000 

October,  1851   2500 

March,  1877 2000 

July,  1892 1000 

March,  1893 500 

Total £13,000 


MUNICU'AJ.   SYSTEM   OV  FOREIGN    BATHS. 


S-i 


0[  this  aniouiit  Xii,854  ^I'ls  l->'^cn  repaid. 
The  receipts  for  llir  year  ending  March  25,  1896,  were: 

£       8.    d. 

liutherH    909    0     1 

Washera 5*2  12  11>^ 

Soap 45     4     5 

Rents 10  11    0 

Sale  of  old  materials 4     9    0 

Total £1087  17    5'/2 


were: 


Expenditures   for   corresponding   period 


£      8.  d. 

Salaries  and  wages 709  10  4 

Fuel 2:^4  13  0 

Gas   02    0  4 

Chandlery  and  soap  02  12  7 

Rates,  taxes  and  insurances 42  11  0 

Furniture  and  utensils 10    0  0 

Repairs  and  maintenance  170  IS  10 

Printing,  stationery  and  advertising ::'>G  12  5 

Petty  cash  12  18  7 

Total £1342     3  10 


The  Parish  of  St.  Mary,  IsUngton,  only 
adopted  the  Baths  and  Washhouses  Acts  in  August,  1889,  but  the 
commissioners  appointed  went  to  work  with  a  will,  and  Islington 
now  has  three  extremely  fine  public  baths.  The  Caledonian  Road 
baths  were  opened  in  May,  1892,  and  the  Homsey  Road  baths  in 
July,  1892.  The  need  for  such  establishments  was  evident  by 
the  fact  that  up  to  March  31,  1895,  1,002,735  bathers  and  169,515 
washers  were  accommodated,  a  total  of  1,166,323  persons,  while  the 
receipts  from  these  sources  amounted  altogether  to  £16,666  17s.  7d. 
The  Tibberton  Square  baths  were  only  opened  in  April,  1895,  so 
no  figures  can  be  given.  It  will  be  noticed  that  a  large  payment 
is  made  for  water.  London  does  not  possess  its  own  water  works, 
so  the  public  baths  have  to  help  pay  tlie  heavy  profits  the  water 
companies  make.  The  increase  in  the  number  of  women  swim- 
mers is  the  more  remarkable  as  the  total  attendance  fell  oflf,  owing 
to  the  unfavorable  season.  School  Board  children  are  admitted 
at  the  low  price  of  id.  and  for  the  year  ending  March  31,  1895, 
6,952  visited  the  Caledonian  Road  baths,  and  14.240  the  Homsey 
Road  baths. 

Each  of  the  establishments  has  a  wash- 
house  connected  with  it.  At  first  the  women  were  slow  in  taking 
advantage  of  the  many  conveniences  provided.    Barely  fifty  women 


Isling:ton. 


Heavy 
Profits. 


Barely 

Fifty 

Women 


84 


MAYORS    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 


used  the  laundn-  at  Hornsey  Road  the  first  week,  but  since  then  the 
numbers  have  reached  i,ioo  in  a  single  week.  The  whole  accom- 
modation is  often  taken  up,  and  sometimes  a  number  of  women 
are  waiting  their  turn. 

The  original  cost  of  the  buildings  was  as 
follows : 


Caledonian -rd. 


Hornsey-rd. 


Tibberton-sq. 


I          ±  S.  d. 

Purchase  of  site   |  7,614  8  6 

Erection  of  building |14,154  16  1 

Engineering  and  machinery    ....  I  3,502  18  3 
Architect,   surveyor  and  clerli 

of  works   I  1,556  1  3 

Furnishings  aoid  fittings 365  1  5 

Electric  light  installation 

Compensation  for  disturbance  . 


£ 

2.189 

24,199  12 

5.948  11 


s.  d. 
4     3 


2.458  2 

402  5 

1,317  19 

50  0 


£      s. 

6,063  13 

21,672     0 

4,994     0 


2,195     2  10 


Totals  27,193     5     6  36,565  15     2  34,924  16     4 


ACCOMMODATIONS  PROVIDED. 


Caledonian-rd. 

Hornsey-rd. 

Tibberton-sq 

1 

1      90x30  ft. 

132x40  ft. 

90x30  ft 

1      75x25  ft. 

100x35  ft. 

94x30  ft. 

1 

75x25  ft. 

50x20  ft. 

93 



71 

47 

42 

74 

58 

16 

34 

33 

26 

49 

65 

Swimming  Baths:— 

Area  First  Class    . 

Area,  Second  Class 

Area  Women's  .  . . 
Dressing  Boxes:— 

First  Class  

Second  Class   

Women's   

Private  Baths:— 

Men's    

Women's    

Washing  Stalls   .... 


Depth,  all  baths,  3  feet  6  incheis  to  6  feet  9  inches. 


WORKING  EXPENSES,  YEAR  ENDING  MARCH  31,  1895. 


Caledonian-rd. 


Hornsey-rd. 


Wages  and  disbursements 

Rates,  taxes  and  insurance   

Coal  and  coke  

Water    

Gas    

Soap,  soda,  disinfectants,  etc 

Brushes,  brooms,  pails,  etc 

Engineer's  stores,  etc 

Ticket  books,  India  rubber  stamps,  etc. 

Drapery,  drawers,  costumes  

Other  expenses  


f 

1079 

112 

543 

561 

161 

49 

19 

53 

43 

27 

59 


s.  d. 

15  5 

1  6 

12  5 
0  11 
4     1 

13  10 

2  9 
8     3 

11     8 
11     0 

16  0 


£      s.  d. 

1357     6  1114 

164     5  8 

1022     0  1 

1089  19  2 

21  13  5 

109  19  2 

20     8  0 

120     9  0 

60  17  1 

36     6  0 

120  15  5 


Total I  £2710  17  10 


£4123  19     61/2 


< 


crq     X- 

CD     '~< 

2:    tX) 


CO 


MiJNicn'Ai.  svs'noM  OF  i''(>Ki':if;.\  r.A'Jiis.  w 

RECEIPTS  FOR  THE  YEAR  ENDING  MARCH  31,  1895. 


Caledonlan.rd. 


I'rlvato  baths 

Swimming  batlis    . .  . 

Laundry    

Soap,  Koda,  etc.,  sold 

Hire  of  bnlh   

Hire  of  hall  

Sundries    


d. 

4 
0 


£  sV 
861  4 
782  1 
644  13     2 

20  13     7 

7  12     3 

152  19     6 


Hornicjr-rd. 

~  £~  s.'dr 
1119     H     2 
1984  11     2 
545     1 
34     9     Vh 
46  13     0 


1^8 


7     7 


Total  . . .  . 

Eoss  on  the  year 


£2469     3  10    I  £3730  10     8 
£241  14     0    I    £393     8  10% 


NUMBER  OF  BATHERS  FOR  THE  YEARS  1893-4  AND  1894-5. 


Cnledouian-rood. 

Homsey^-road. 

Year  ending  March 
81, 1895. 

Year  ending  March 
31, 1894. 

Year  ending  March 
31, 1895. 

Year  ending  March 
31,1994. 

Men. 

Women. 

Men. 

Women. 

Men. 

Women. 

Men. 

Women. 

First-class 
Private  Baths  ... 
Second-Class 
Private  Baths   . . . 
First-Class 
Swimming  Baths. 
Second-Class 
Swimming  Baths. 

14,358 

46,292 
13,560 
56.724 

1,349 

10,863 

561 

3.417 

14,058 
19,318 
23,634 
57,596 

1,731 
11,475 

822 
1,629 

25,987 
35,734 
63,166 
64,191 

2,520 
13,844 

5,792 
16,990 

24.209 
33,575 
76,350 
77,835 

2,315 
13,135 

7,208 
11,388 

Totals    1  H0.9o4 

16,190 

144,606 

15,657 

189,078|  39,146|211.969 

34.046 

PRIVATE  HOT  AND  COLD  BATHS. 
First  Class:    Hot,  6d.;  cold  or  shower.  3d.     Including  soap,  use  of  flesh 

brush  and  two  towels. 
Second  Class:    Hot,  2d.:  cold  or  cold  shower,  Id. 

SWIMMING  BATH. 
First  Class,  6d. ;  books  of  twelve  tickets,  4s.  6d. 
Second  Class,  2d. 

NUMBER  OF  WASHERS. 


Caledonian-road.             Hornsey-road. 

1 

Year  ending  31st  March,  1895 

Year  ending  31st  March,  1894 

39,540                      33.004 
31,480                     27.079 

Charge:    First  hour,  Id.;  second  hour,  l%d.;  every  succeeding  hour,  2d. 


Kensington  opened  public  baths  in  i888,, 

at  a  cost  of  nearly  £6o,ooo,  divided  as  follows: 

£      s.   d. 

Site 13,443  15  11 

Building  works  31.526    8    3 

Engineering  works   12.927  15     8 

Completion  of  and  fitting  up  men's  second- 
class  swimming  bath" in  1SS9 1,S3S  11  11 


Total £59,736  11     9 


Kensing' 

ton, 

London. 


86 


MAYOR'S  COMMITTEE  ON  PUBLIC  BATHS. 


Eight  loans,  amounting  altogether  to 
£59,700,  were  obtained,  those  for  the  site  repayable  in  fifty  years, 
for  building  work  in  thirty  years  and  for  engineering  work  in 
twenty  years.  Alore  than  a  quarter  of  these  loans  have  already 
been  repaid. 

The  accommodation  includes: 


Men's  Sirimming 
Baths. 

First  class 

Second  class .  .  . . . 

Third  class 

Women's 
swimming  bath 


Size. 


87x46>^  ft 
50x3lX  ft 
61x24^4:  ft 

61^2'x22K   ft 


Depth. 


Water 
Capacity. 


3  ft  7  in  X  6X  ft 
3  ft  2  in  X  5  ft  7  in 
3  ft  7  in  X  5  ft  7  in 

3ft2inx5ft7in 


126,000  gals 
44,000  gals 
43,000  gals 

40,000  gals 


Dressing 
Compart- 
ments. 


50 
35 
52 

31 


Private  Baths. 

First  Oass. 

Second  Class. 

Third  Class. 

Total. 

Men's 

13 

7 

20 

34 

47 

Women's 

27 

Total 

20 

20 

34 

74 

Charges  vary  from  id.  for  a  third-class 
cold,  and  2d.  for  warm  or  swimming  bath,  to  3d.  for  a  first-class 
cold,  6d.  for  a  warm,  and  8d.  for  a  swimming  bath.  Reduction  on 
quantities  of  swimming  tickets  taken,  which  are  transferable,  re- 
duce the  cost  of  a  first-class  swim  to  6d.  if  ten  tickets  are  taken  and 
to  5d.  if  one  buys  one  hundred  tickets. 

The  laundry  contains  sixty  washing  com- 
partments, with  the  usual  conveniences,  and  fifty-five  drying  horses. 
It  is  open  from  8  a.  m.  to  8  p.  m.  all  the  year  round  at  a  charge 
of  i^d.  per  hour.  The  first  eleven  months,  13,950  women  attended 
for  38,709!  hours.  In  1889-90,  the  numbers  increased  to  31,113 
women  and  84,352  hours,  while  in  the  year  ending  March  25,  1896, 
55,550  women  stayed  123,703^  hours.  Of  the  total  number,  16,037 
women  stayed  only  one  hour,  and  16,147  two  hours.  The  average 
time  was  2^  hours  at  an  average  charge  of  3  2-5d.  per  head. 

The  receipts  of  the  baths  and  washhouses 
for  the  year  ending  March  25,  1896,  were: 

£       s.  d. 

Bathers  1,495  15  8 

Washers  785  18  QYz 

Soap  sold  to  bathers 17  18  4 

Soap,  soda,  blue,  starch,  etc.,  sold  to  washers  14    0  lYs 

Swimming  entertainments 9    9  0 

Use  of  weighbridge  1     1  6 

Old  stores  1    0  6 

Total £2,325     4     5 


MUNlUli'AJ.  SYHTEM   OF  FOREIGN    BATU8. 


87 


The  expenses  for  the  same  i)crifKi  were: 

£         8.     (1. 

Rates,  tuxoH  and  lusurauce 448     1     7 

Salaries  Jind  wages l-'»f5.'{    3    6 

Water   r.Ol  17    0 

Gas    KW    5    0 

Fuel <K)1  1".    8 

Soap,  soda,  blue,  starch,  etc -'{l     7    3 

Brushes  and  brooms 16  12  10 

Engineer's  requisites   44     3    3 

Furniture 9    4    7 

Printing,  stationery  and  advertising 79    2    0 

Repairs  and  maintenance 25.'5  13  10 

Various  small  expenses    24     7  10 

Total £3741  12  10 

The  number  of  bathers,  though  not  equal 
to  the  best  recorded,  showed  an  increase  over  the  previous  year. 


Men. 

Women. 

Total. 

Swiiuiiiiiig   1        Private 
Bath.                 Baths. 

Swimming  |        Private 
Bath         1        Baths. 

1892-3 

52,537           36,912 
65,319           39,939 
47,400           37,273 
53,943           40,950 

5,642    1        9,185 
5.065    1         9,475 
4,485             8.202 
5.949             9,249 

104,276 

1893-4 

119,798 

1894-5 

!»7,.360 

1895-6 

110,091 

The  Lewisham  baths,  unUke  most  of  the 
Eng-Hsh  pubHc  baths,  for  the  first  two  years  after  opening  yielded  a 
small  profit  on  the  working  expenses.  For  the  eleven  years  during 
which  they  have  been  in  operation  there  has  been  an  average 
deficit  of  £351  OS.  6d.  The  commissioners  have  had  the  floors  of 
the  first-class  swimming  bath  relaid  during  the  winter,  and  helped 
to  swell  the  receipts  by  letting  the  halls  for  entertainments.  The 
Ladywell  Baths  are  also  used  for  a  gymnasium  in  the  winter.  Wo- 
men are  admitted  to  the  first-class  swimming  pool  at  the  Forest 
Hill  Bath  on  Wednesdays  from  10  a.  m.,  to  6  p.  m.,  and  on  Fri- 
days and  Saturdays  from  10  a.  m.,  to  i  p.  m.,  and  to  the  Lad}'\vell 
Baths  on  Tuesdays  from  10  a.  m.  to  6  p.  m.,  on  Thursdays  from 
II  a.  m.  to  6  p.  m.,  and  on  Saturdays  from  10  a,  m.  to  i  p.  m. 
The  remainder'  of  the  time,  from  6  a.  m.  to  9  p.  m.,  week  days, 
is  given  to  the  men.  The  loans  of  £28,200  for  the  erection  of  the 
baths  were  obtained  from  the  old  Metropolitan  Board  of  Works 
(the  predecessor  of  the  London  County  Council)  at  3^  per  cent. 
The  annual  installments  at  present  amount  to  £1073  6s.  8d.  and  the 
interest  for  1895-6  was  £634  19s.  8d.  The  buildings  actually  cost  for 
construction:  Ladywell.  £14,581  i6s.  5d..  and  Forest  Hill.  £13.801 
3s.  6d. 


Lewisham, 

London. 


88  MAYORS    COMMITTEE   ON   PUBLIC   BATHS. 

RECEIPTS  FOR  YEAR  ENDING  MARCH  25,  1896. 


Ladywell  Baths. 

Forest  Hill  Baths. 

Total. 

1        £      s. 

d. 

£      s.  d. 

£      s. 

d. 

From  bathers 

887     5 

5 

542     8     5 

1429  13 

10 

Sale  of  soap  tablets 

1           9  11 

3 

4  19     6 

14  10 

9 

Hire  of  bathing  dresses  . . . 

23  15 

0 

17     5  10 

41     0 

10 

Hire  of  extra  towels 

1  19 

1 

17     4 

2  16 

5 

Hire  of  swimming  baths 

for  entei-tainments  and 

committee    rooms    for 

meetings  

188     1 

4 

86     4     4 

274     5 

8 

Sale  of  slate  slabs  and  old 

brick  wall 

9     5 

0 

9     5 

0 

Totals 

£1119  17 

1 

£651  15     5 

£1771  12 

6 

WORKING  EXPENSES  FOR  YEAR  ENDING  MARCH  25,  1896. 


Ladywell  Baths.      Forest  Hill  Baths. 


Total 


Coal  and  fuel 

Gas  

Water 

Repairs  and  maintenance  . . 

Soap  and  soda 

Soap  tablets 

Wages    

Rates,  taxes  and  insurance 

Towels  (1009  @  6s.  4y2d  per 
dozen)   

Laying  and  removing  win- 
ter flooring,  including 
repairs  

District  Surveyor's  fees  . . . 

New  platform  (firsit-class 
hall)  

Painting  and  varnishing 
swimming  baths    

Enlarging  artistes'  room  . . 

New  vertical  boiler  and 
connections  to  hall   . .  . . 

Covering  boilers  and  pipes 
with  asbestos  

Re-seating  boilers  and  fix- 
ing new  stack  pipes  . .  . . 

New  greenhouse  (balance)  . 

New  water  supply 

Clerk's  salary 

Printing,  stationery,  adver- 
tising and  general  ex- 
penses  


£      s.  d. 

114    0    4 

61     0  11 

232     3     9 

117  16     1 

3  19     6 

5     8     0 

422  16     0 

123  11  10 

13     7     9 


I  26     8  11 

I  9  12     6 

I  14  19     3 

I 

I  82  14     8 

j  31  18     7 

I  72  10     0 

I 

i  19     1  10 


413  14     0 


£ 

94 

50     5 

173     1 

110     5 

3     4 

2  16 

390     2 

119  15 


s.  d. 
5     0 


13     8     3 


20  10     6 
4  12     6 


31     3     4 


8  19  11 


£ 
208 
111 
405 
228 

7 

8 

812  18 
243     7 


s.  d. 
5     4 


26  16  0 

46  19  5 

14     5  0 

14  19  3 

113  18  0 

31  18  7 

72  10  0 

28     1  9 


I        49     2     3  I  49     2  3 

16     3     4  i  16    3  4 

I       ;  413  14  0 

I       I  50    0  0 

I  ( 

I  I 

I       I  79     0  0 

I  £1087  14  11  I  £2981  18  10 


Totals 


£1765     3  11 


The  deficiency  thus  amounted  to  £1,210 
6s.  4d.  Of  this  amount  £413  14s.  od.  was  an  extraordinary  expendi- 
ture for  new  water  supply,  while  other  structural  alterations  should 


MUNICIPAL    SYSTEM    Ol'  I'OItiOMLN    I'.ATIIH. 


89 


not  strictly  be  included  in  workinj^-  expenses,  but  be  charged  to 
capital  account. 


NUMBER  OP  BATHERS,  1895-6. 

Male. 

Femala 

Total. 

Lady  well   

59,125 
39,818 

6,960 
5.520 

66,085 

Forest  Hill   

45.338 

Totals  

5)8,943 

12.480 

111,423 

SCALE  OF  CHARGES. 

£  s.  d. 

First-Class  Swimming  Bath,  each  (adults) 0  0  0 

Pirst-Olass  Swimming  Bath,  per  dozen 0  5  0 

First-Class  Swimming  Bath,  children  under  12,  accompanying 

adult 0  0  4 

Second-Class  Swimming  Bath,  each o  0  2 

Second-Class  Swimming  Bath,  children  attending  public  ele- 
mentary schools 0  0  1 

First-Class  Private  Bath,  each 0  0  6 

First-Class  Private  Bath,  per  dozen 0  5  0 

Second-Class  Private  Bath,  each 0  0  2 

Season  ticliets 1  1  0 

Season  ticliets,  children  under  12 0  10  6 

Private  schools  and  swimming  clubs,  on  production  of  club 

membership  or  school  card   0  0  4 

Visitors  (admitted  to  gallery  of  First-Class  Swimming  Bath)  ...  0  0  2 

Hire  of  bathing  dresses  or  drawers   0  0  1 

Extra  towel 0  0  1 

Soap 0  0  1 


This  parish  erected  baths  and  washhouses 
in  1848  at  a  cost  of  £23,671.  The  annual  average  cost  (£3,200) 
slightly  exceeded  the  receipts  from  bathers  (£2,750).  For  the  year 
ending  March,  1894,  the  receipts  were  £3,097,  working  expenses. 
£2,957.  There  were  153,000  bathers  and  36,000  washers.  The  es- 
tablishment comprised  four  swimming  baths  and  105  private  baths. 
The  average  annual  receipts  from  washers  were  £850,  accommoda- 
•tion  being  provided  for  sixty-one  workers.  The  laundry  was  fitted 
up  with  drying  horses,  ironing  stove  with  irons,  tables  and  blankets, 
mangles  and  hydro-extractors.  The  baths  had  become  so  inade- 
quate and  obsolete  that  several  clubs  had  had  to  go  elsewhere.  The 
building  is  being  entirely  rebuilt  and  reconstructed  and  the  com- 
missioners intend  that  it  shall  be  complete  in  all  respects,  with  in- 
ternal arrangements  of  the  most  approved  character,  but  at  the 
same  time  nothing  extravagant  in  design  or  detail  is  to  be  per- 
mitted. The  ornamental  tiles  in  the  old  building  will  be  made  use 
of  again.  The  cost  will  be  £43,800.  Tlie  building  will  not  be  en- 
tirely completed  before  ]\Iarch  ist,  1897. 


Maryle- 

bone, 

London. 


90 


MAYOR'S    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 


Padding- 
ton, 
London. 


The  Paddington  Baths  were  erected  in 
1874,  and  the  entire  amount  borrowed  will  be  repaid  by  1902.  The 
bicycle  craze  afforded  a  means  of  utilizing  the  large  swimming 
bath  in  the  winter  as  a  cycle  school.  During  the  year  1895-96  the 
Commissioners  paid  off  £400  still  owing  for  extra  washing  com- 
partments, and  erected  a  washer  at  a  cost  of  £42.  An  extra  charge 
of  £250  for  water,  an  increase  of  50  per  cent.,  was  made  by  the  water 
works  company.  The  summer  of  1895  was  unusually  warm,  and 
this,  with  the  fact  that  the  Marylebone  baths  had  been  pulled  down 
to  erect  a  larger  building,  caused  an  increase  of  the  receipts  over  the 
previous  year  of  £671  2s.  7-|d.,  and  an  increase  of  £55  12s.  od. 
over  1892-93,  the  best  previous  year. 


Year  of 
Opening. 

Cost  of 
Erection. 

Average 
Annual  Cost. 

Average  .A  n- 
nual  Receipts 
from  Bathers. 

Accommodation. 

No.  of  Baths. 

No. 

Provided 

For. 

Lowest  Charges. 

1874 

£56,529 

£4,021 

£3,680 

4  swimming 
96  private 

229 
96 

2d.  swimm'g 
2d.  hot 
Id.  cold 

RECEIPTS  FOR  YEAR  ENDING  MARCH,  1896. 

£      s.  d. 

Bathers 3,218    9  1 

Washers  616    3  2y2 

Soap,  etc 91  19  7 

Hire  of  hall 211    3  6 

Hire  of  rooms 109    9  2 

Other  receipts 154    0  7 


Total £4,401     5     IVz 

EXPENDITURES  FOR  YEAR  ENDING  MARCH,  1896. 

£      s.  d. 

Repairs  and  maintenance  of  building 743    2    0 

Salaries  and  wages 1,341  12    2 

Rates,  taxes  and  insurance 462  14  10 

Water 630    8    8 

Gas  and  electricity 208    6  10 

Coal  and  coke 559    7-    2 

Soap  and  soda 36  12    8 

Printing,  stationery  and  advertisements 48  11    5 

Engineer's  supplies  18    7    8 

Towels 113     4     4 

Brushes 16    4    6 

Various  expenses  92  13    2 


Total £4,271     5     5 

NUMBER  OF  BATHERS  AND  WASHERS. 


Year. 

Swimming  Baths. 

Private  Baths. 

Total  No. 
of  Bathers. 

Washers. 

1892-3 81,490 

1893-4 104,483 

1894-5 73,625 

1895-6 98,371 

99,305 

102,189 

99,109 

117,858 

180,795 
206,672 
172,734 
216,229 

19,853 
18,110 
20,450 
19,814 

MUNICIPAL   SYSTEM   OV  FOREKiN    BATHS. 


•.>1 


Among  those  who  took  swimming  baths 
were  4,125  children  from  the  i'o.'inl  Schools,  who  paid  id.  each. 


Poplar  baths  were  opened  in  1852,  so  that 
the  annual  repayment  on  loans  now  amounts  to  only  £315,  and  the 
interest  in  1895-6  was  £129  los.  iid.  Charges  vary  from  id.  to 
IS.  for  baths,  and  lAd.  per  hour  in  the  laundry. 

The  cold  season  of  1894  resulted  in  a 
considerable  falling  off  in  the  receipts  and  number  of  bathers,  which 
was,  however,  retrieved  the  following  year.  In  1894-5  substantial 
repairs  were  undertaken  in  the  second-class  swimming  bath  and 
five  new  porcelain  first-class  private  baths  were  added.  The  Com- 
missioners recommend  considerable  alterations  in  the  laundry, 
which  needs  a  new  and  substantial  flooring.  It  is  desired  to  replace 
the  old,  worn-out  hand  wringer  by  a  steam-driven  one,  as  the  labor 
of  working  a  wringer  by  hand  is  far  too  heavy  for  women.  A  steam 
washing  machine  for  the  towels,  and  a  new  mangle  were  also  re- 
quired if  the  laundry  was  to  be  brought  up  to  modern  standards. 

The  receipts  for  the  past  two  years  were 
as  follows: 


Poplar, 
London. 


1894-5. 

£       S.   d. 

Poplar  School  Swimming  Club 23     2     0 

Poplar  School  Girls'  Swimming  Club  ....         19  19    0 

London  School  Board 6  10  11 

Other  bathers 1384     0  10 

Washers 347  17    3 

Totals £1781  10     0 


1895-6. 

f   S. 

d. 

23  2 

0 

10  10 

0 

2  13 

8 

1688  14 

11 

HI  5  3 

0 

£2040     3     7 


The    expenditures   for  the    same   period 


were : 


1S94-5. 

f     s.  d. 

Salaries  and  wages 1003    4  5 

Repairs  and  maintenance 257  18  0 

Coal  and  colie  291     8  5 

Water 165  17  8 

Gas 80    2  3 

Rates,  taxes  and  insurance 53  13  6 

Printing  and  stationery  32  15  0 

Soap  30  10  0 

Towels   51  18  0 

Brushes,  brooms,  etc 18    0  2 

Uniforms    10  19  11 

Ironmongery   19     1  7 

Small  expenses 20  14  1 

Totals £2036     3  0 


1895-6. 


£ 

s. 

d. 

lOK) 

6 

10 

170 

7 

2 

219 

13 

9 

145 

10 

0 

51 

8 

6 

54 

11 

0 

24 

13 

0 

37 

14 

1 

20 

0 

7 

30 

14 

>-> 

15 

6 

5 

22 

6 

3 

23 

1 

11 

£1855 

13 

8 

92 


MAYOR'S    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 


The  numbers  using-  the  establishment  for 


St.  George, 
Hanover 
Square, 
London. 


the  same  period  were: 


Bathers  :— 
Men  . .  .  . 
Womeu  . 
Cliildreu 


Totals 


Washers    

No.  of  hours  worked 


1894-5. 

78,970 

6,517 

12,616 

98,103 

10,025 
55,658 


1895-6. 

92,914 

7,718 
16,990 

117,622 

9,244 

50,424 


The  Davies  Street  Baths  were  erected  in 
1855,  at  a  cost,  including  washhouse  accommodation,  of  ii6,ooo. 
The  average  annual  cost  is  £4,320,  while  the  average  annual  re- 
ceipts from  bathers  are  only  £1,486.  There  is  one  swimming  pool 
and  forty-seven  private  baths.  The  laundry  provides  accommo- 
dations for  thirty-six  washers  at  an  annual  average  cost  of  £671. 

The  Buckingham  Palace  Road  baths  were 
rebuilt  in  1890  at  a  cost  of  £45,238.  To  meet  the  great  demand  for 
hot  water  it  was  found  desirable  that  the  boilers  should  all  be  in- 
terchangeable for  steam  and  hot  water.  Steam  injectors  are  used 
to  warm  the  swimming  baths.  The  laundry  is  placed  in  the  rear  at 
the  top  of  the  building,  being  reached  by  an  elevator.  The  flooring 
was  strengthened  for  the  hydro-extractors,  and  additional  rivets 
placed  in  the  girders  to  prevent  vibration. 

RECEIPTS  FOR  THE  YEAR  ENDING  MARCH  25,  1895. 


Davies-street. 

Buckingham  Palace- 
road. 

Receipts  from  bathers   

£      s.  d. 
1112  11     1 
38  17     6 
581     9     61/2 
4  18     1% 

£       S.   d. 
2342     2     1 

Soap  sold  to  bathers 

104     0     4 

Receipts  from  washers  

Soap  and  soda  sold  to  washers  .... 

655     1     2 
3     1  11 

Totals      

£1737  16     3 

£3104     5     6 

EXPENDITURES  FOR  THE  YEAR  ENDING  MARCH  25,  1895. 


Davies-street. 


Buckingham  Palace- 
road. 


Wages  and  disbursements 

Rents,  rates,  taxes  and  insurance 

Coal  and  coke 

Water  supply 

Gas  

Soap  and  soda 

Maintenance  of  building 

Engineer's  stores 

New  towels  and  drawers 

Sundries    


Totals 


£  s.  d. 
941  2  7 
26G  9 
376  11 
248  3 
140  17 

55     1 
1433  10 

14  13     6 

123  14  10 

102     0     0 

£3702     4     0 


s.  d. 
8  11 


£ 

15(13 

516     7 

728  16 

626  18 

17     5 

105  14 

794  15 

123  12 

285  12 

152  19     8 

£4915  11     2 


Deptford  (London).  Public  Baths,  Wash-houses  and  Municipal  Buildings 
under  the  same  roof.  This  combination  enables  each  department  to  effect  a 
saving  in  initial  cost. 


Shoreditch  (London).    Public  Bath-houses  and  a  Public  Library  under  the 
same  roof.     Estimated  cost  $150,000. 


MUNKJII'Al.   SYSTEM   OK  I'MJKKKIN    UATllS. 


y:i 


NUMBER  OF  BATHERS  AND  WASHERS. 


Bathen. 

Wuh«n. 

navie«..tn...    '^i^i^^Zl^ 

Inivlai-iitreet  i  ""«'''"»*""" 

YeareiKliii;.,'  Miiicli  25,  1,S'.)5. 
Year  oiuIIuk  March  25,  l.S!>4. 

77,452         l.'J(),2Jm           22,482           22^21 
1K»,,S71          185.472           20.JM>4             

SCALE  OF  CJ1AK(;ES.  b.  d. 

First  Class,  cold  bath 0  :^ 

First  Class,  warm  batli  o  <> 

S(H'oud  Class,  cold  bath 0  1 

Second  Class,  warm  bath 0  2 

First-ChiKS  Swiminiu;?  Bath    0  0 

PMrst-ClasH  SwinuniiiK  Batli  (^u-ls  under  12) 0  4 

Second-Class  Swimmiug  Bath   0  .'i 

Swimming  Costume 0  2 

Washers. 

One  hour  or  less 0  1 

Between  one  and  two  hours    0  2% 

Between  two  and  three  hours 0  4% 

Every  subsequent  half-hour 0  1 

These  parishes  took  early  advantage  of  the 
Baths  and  Washhonses  Act  and  erected  a  pubhc  bath  and  wash- 
house  in  1853  at  a  cost  of  £20,000.  There  are  two  swimming  pools, 
with  forty-six  dressing  boxes  and  seventy-three  private  baths.  The 
washhouse  is  fitted  with  hot  air  chambers  for  drying,  Perkin's 
stoves  and  ironing  boards,  and  contains  accommodation  for  fifty- 
four  washers.  The  establishment  was  closed  for  several  months 
during  1893-4  for  repairs,  so  that  the  receipts  show  a  large  decrease. 

RECEIPTS  FOR  YEAR  ENDING  MARCH  30,  1894. 

£      s.  d. 

Cash  from  bathers  776  12    6 

Cash  from  washers  1118     5  10 

Cash  from  sale  of  soap  29  16  11 

Cash  from  book  tickets 17    0    0 

Total £1941715^3 

EXPENSES  FOR  YEAR  ENDING  MARCH  30,  1894. 

£      s.  d. 

Salaries  and  wages 865    4  10 

Water 243  19    8 

Gas  103    5    0 

Coal  and  coke 581  17     8 

Soap  and  soda 26     1    0 

Ii'onware   13     5     7 

Washing  towels 29    0    0 

Machinery  repairs 49  17  11 

Insurance 13     9     9 

Rates  and  taxes 120    9    4 

Printing  and  stationery 41     1     8 

Furniture 36  13    9 

House  repairs  and  expenses 67    9    0 

New  toweling  and  making  51    9    9 


St.  Giles- 
in-the> 
Fields  and 
St.  George, 
Blooms- 
bury, 
London. 


Total £2243     4  11 


94 


MAYOR'S  COMMITTEE  OX  PUBLIC  BATHS. 


NUMBER  OF  BATHERS. 


j              Private  Baths. 

Swimming 

Batlis. 
Men  only. 

Total 
Bathers. 

Washers. 

i          Men. 

Women. 

1692   1       74,506 

1893    79,183 

10,634 
13,272 
10,959 

16,767 

17,721 

9,818 

101,907 

110,176 

57,377 

17,977 
45,549 
44,399 

1894    36,600 

SCALE  OF  CHARGES. 

First  Class.  Second  Class. 
(With  2  towels,  brushes,  etc.)  (With  1  towel) 

Swimming  Bath   4d.  2d. 

Private  Batli,  warm 6d.  2d. 

Private  Bath,  cold  3d.  Id. 

Shower  Bath,  warm 6d.  4d. 

Shower  Bath,  cold 3d.  2d. 

Books  containing  140  2d.  bath  tickets  may  be  purchased  at  £1  each. 

Washing  places  with  wringing  machines,  drying  closets,  mangles 
and  irons:  For  the  first  two  hours,  l^d.  per  hour;  for  each  subsequent 
hour,  2d.  per  hour;  for  each  half-hour.  Id. 


St.  James, 
West- 
minster, 
London. 


In  1846  "An  Act  to  Encourage  the  Estab- 
lishment of  PubHc  Baths  and  Washhouses"  was  passed.  This  act 
is  permissive  in  character,  and  provides  means  for  the  estabHsh- 
ment  of  baths  and  washhouses  in  such  towns  and  parishes  whose 
members  determine  to  avail  themselves  of  the  privilege  by  local 
taxation.  The  act  was  passed  in  August,  and  in  December  the 
Vestry  of  St.  James  decided  to  adopt  the  act  and  build  a  bath  and 
washhouse.  The  action  was  significant  because  at  that  period  local 
municipal  life  was  not  particularly  vigorous.  In  addition,  no  ex- 
perience offered  any  guide  a$  to  the  cost  of  such  buildings,  the 
necessary  means  of  providing  the  desired  accommodations,  the 
extent  to  which  such  facilities  would  be  used.  The  same  difficulty 
confronted  St.  James  as  New  York;  namely,  the  great  difficulty  of 
securing  a  site,  as  almost  all  available  land  had  been  taken.  How- 
ever, loans  were  placed  and  a  building  was  erected  in  1852,  con- 
taining a  laundry  with  fifty-six  compartments,  forty-five  washing 
baths  for  men,  fourteen  for  women,  and  a  swimming  bath  forty  feet 
by  thirty  feet.  The  building  was  opened  in  June  and  from  that  time 
to  the  end  of  the  year  74,643  bathers  and  8,600  washers  used  the 
establishment.  In  1853,  the  numbers  rose  to  108,008  bathers  and 
32,648  washers. 

The  pressure  was  so  great  for  improved 
accommodations,  especially  for  women,  that  the  plant  was  ex- 
tended in  1861.  As  a  proof  that  cleansing  baths  were  demanded, 
in  1865  the  maximum  attendance  was  reached,  when  1601,480 
tickets  were  issued  to  bathers  and  70,057  to  washers. 


MUNICll'AL   BiSTliM   OK  rOHElGN    J'.ATIIK.  !).'» 

As  conveying  the  idea  of  the  extent  to 
which  this  bath  lias  been  used,  tiic  following  tabulation  is  elo- 
quent. 

Cost  of  oroclliiK  (ill  1851)  and  furnishing,  and  extending  (In  1801) 

the  catnbllHhniont £21  .OOO 

Amount  borrowed  and  repaid 21,fXX> 

Interest 13,002 

Total £34,002 

Total  payments  from  the  Poor  Rate £34,971 

Less  surplus  receipts  paid  at  various  times  by  the  Commis- 
sioners in  relief  of  the  Poor  Rate 9,350 

Net  charge  on  the  Poor  Rate  (spread  over  a  period  of  45  years)...     £25,621 
Number  of  tickets  issued  to  washers  from  the  14th  of  June,  1852, 

to  the  81st  of  December,  1892 2,051,366 

Number  of  bath  tickets  Issued  during  the  same  period  4,639,413 

Total  number  of  tickets  issued  6,690,779 

Total  receipts  from  bathers  and  washers  from  June  14,  1852, 

to  December  31, 1892 £121,893 

The  practical  advantages  of  economy  and 
the  provision  of  suitable  accommodations  through  the  year  is  il- 
lustrated by  St.  James,  w^hich  for  £25,621  secured  a  freehold 
site  and  building  complete  for  carrying  on  a  large  bath  busi- 
ness, whereby  six  and  three-quarter  millions  of  bathers  and  washers 
have  used  it  in  the  more  than  two  score  years  since  it  was  opened.* 
In  1890,  the  bath  commissioners  began  to  take  under  advisement 
the  provision  of  a  swimming  bath.  A  public  inquiry  was  held  in 
the  parish  and  although  previous  notice  of  the  inquiry  had  been 
widely  circulated,  only  three  taxpayers  objected.  The  cost  of  the 
swimming  bath  now  opened  is  slightly  in  excess  of  £6,000.  The 
water  surface  of  the  bath  is  sixty  feet  by  twenty-two  feet.  A  foun- 
tain has  been  fitted  up  at  one  end,  insuring  a  constant  though  small 
current  of  fresh,  tepid  water  throughout  the  whole  length  of  the 
bath,  thus  combining  the  effects  of  a  gentle  running  stream  with 
the  safety  of  an  enclosed  bath.  The  bottom  and  sides  of  the  bath, 
up  to  the  water  level,  are  white  glazed  tiles  upon  which  is  an  orna- 
mental, hand-painted  tile  frieze.  Dressing  boxes  are  placed  in  a 
series  of  arched  recesses  along  the  sides  of  the  bath.  The  present 
accommodations  at  the  St.  James  Public  Baths  and  Washhouses 
consist  of  the  following: 

*  Upwards  of  150,000  tickets  have  been  issued  every  year,  and  the 
receipts  average  rather  more  than  the  working  expenses. 


96  MAYOR'S    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 

ACCOMMODATIONS. 

Swimming  Baths:— 

One  60  feet  by  22  feet.     One  40  feet  by  30  feet. 
Private  Batlis:— 

First  Class:      23  for  men.      13  for  women. 

Second  Class:     41  for  men.    13  for  women. 

SCALE  OF  CHARGES. 

Swimming  Bath:—  s.  d. 

First  Class   0  6 

Second  Class 0  2 

Second  Class  (Sundays)  0  3 

Private  Baths:— 

First  Class,  warm  (use  of  two  towels) 0  6 

First  Class,  cold  (use  of  two  towels) 0  6 

Second  Class,  warm  (use  of  one  towel) 0  2 

Second  Class,  cold  (use  of  one  towel)   0  1 

RECEIPTS. 

1893.  1894. 

£     s.  d.  £  s.  d." 
Bathers  (including  payments  for 

swimming  instruction)   1550     6     0  1616  3  10 

Washers    1400  15     2  1342  4     9 

Soap,  etc 119    2  10  118  3    5 


Totals £3070     4     0 

WORKING  EXPENSES. 

1893. 
£      s.  d. 

Salaries  and  wages 1222  12    5 

Printing,  stationery,  advertising  ...  93    2    8 

Fuel 457    3  10 

Gas  148  15    6 

Water 391  19    0 

Rales,  taxes,  insurance 76  11     7 

Soap,  soda,  etc 68  19    4 

Engineer's  supplies    100  13     1 

Renewals  and  repairs 80  16    3 

Towels,  costumes,  etc 97  16     0 

Brushes  18  13  10 

Miscellaneous  disbursements 56    5    2 


£3076  12 

0 

1894. 

£   S. 

d. 

1197  1 

1 

46  18 

8 

423  8 

6 

142  10 

0 

410  19 

0 

139  4 

7 

72  12 

1 

89  9 

2 

185  8 

3 

21     0 

9 

40  12 

6 

Totals £2813     8     8  £2769     4     7 

NUMBER  OF  BATHERS. 

1893.  1894. 

Private  Baths: — 

Men— First  Class  , 22,167  21,765 

Men— Second  Class  46,575  44.999 

Women— First  Class    5,342  5,112 

Women— Second  Class 19,043  19,383 

Swimming  Baths:— 

Men— First  Class 4,728  10,439 

Men— Second  Class  25,211  21,178 

Women— First  Class 465  1,990 


Totals 123,531  124,866 


MUNIClrAl.   SYSTEM    OF  FOREIGN    HATIIS. 


U7 


LAUNDRY    STATISTICS. 

Number  of  Btalls,  84.    Iik.-IuhIvc  cIiui-k'-,  -<1-  P'l'  li'>ur. 

IK):;.  WH. 

Number  of  washers 43,(181  W.^TO 

Number  of  hourH  108,()»1  IfJl  .OWi/^ 

Average  hours  per  washer    3.84  3.50 


The  public  baths  of  St.  Martin's  were 
opened  in  1849  at  a  cost  for  erection,  fitting,  etc.,  of  £20,140.  There 
is  no  swimming  bath,  but  sixty-one  private  baths,  at  which  a  charge 
is  made  of  6d.  first-class  and  2d.  second-class  for  a  warm  bath,  and 
3d.  first  class  and  id.  second  class  for  a  cold  bath.  The  laundry  has 
provisions  for  sixty-one  washers,  and  is  situated  on  the  second 
floor.  There  are  tubs  with  hot  and  cold  water,  with  a  second  tub 
with  steam  pipes  attached  behind  the  washing  tub  for  boiling,  dry- 
ing horses  heated  by  coke  fires,  wringing  machines,  and  stoves  for 
heating  irons.  The  charges  are  i|d.  the  first  hour,  2id.  one  hour 
and  a  half,  3d.  for  two  hours  and  id.  for  each  succeeding  half-hour. 

RECEIPTS  FOR  YEAR  ENDING  DECEMBER  31,  1893. 

f      s.  d. 

From  bathers  9.^)0    6  10 

From  washers  741  14    8 

Soap  sold 46  14     2 

Use  of  extra  towels  1  15    3 

Total £1740  10  11 

EXPENSES  FOR  YEAR  ENDING  DECEMBER  31,  1893. 

f     s.  d. 

Wages  and  salaries  772    0    6 

Repairs  and  maintenance   992    5    6 

Rent   78    0    0 

Rates,  taxes  and  insurance 93  18    5 

Water 189    5    6 

Gas  77    6    8 

Coal  and  colie 634    2    4 

Soap  and  soda   14  17    5 

Towels   52  12  11 

Rubber  goods  32  15     6 

Various  disbursements 38    8    5 

Total £3075  13     2 


St.  Mar-- 
tin-in-the- 
Fields, 
London. 


The  first  Westminster  public  baths  were 
opened  in  1851,  and  were  only  the  fourth  of  their  kind  in  London. 
They  were  entirely  rebuilt  in  1893  at  a  cost  of  £32,800,  and  wash- 
houses  opened  in  connection  with  them.  Next  door  is  the  chief 
Westminster  Public  Library,  an  extremely  fine  building,  opened  at 
the  same  time,  to  take  the  place  of  the  old  building  across  the 
street.    The  proximity  of  the  library  to  the  baths  is  a  peculiarly  for- 


West- 

minster, 

London. 


98  MAYOR'S    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 

tunate  one,  and  should  greatly  assist  the  popularity  of  both.  At  the 
request  of  the  V'estry,  the  Commissioners  of  Baths  undertook  to 
construct  their  furnaces  so  as  to  destroy  part  of  the  house  refuse, 
and  permission  was  given  to  them  to  form  vaults  under  the  side- 
walk and  pavement  to  receive  the  refuse.  On  the  upper  floors  are 
placed  the  board  room,  the  superintendent's  office  and  his  private 
apartments,  the  laundry  and  the  engineer's  apartments.  The  first- 
class  swimming  bath  is  132  feet  long  by  31  feet;  the  depth  varies 
from  three  feet  to  seven  feet.  Over  one  hundred  dressing  boxes 
are  provided.  The  polo  goals  are  fitted  with  nets  and  bells,  the 
length  of  play  being  seventy-five  feet  and  depth  of  water  for  polo 
four  feet  six  inches  to  seven  feet.  There  is  a  special  platform  for 
water  polo  referees  and  a  diving  board  for  learners  at  the  half  dis- 
tance. Quite  a  number  of  swimming  clubs,  including  several 
ladies'  clubs,  make  these  baths  their  headquarters,  and  special  ar- 
rangements are  made  for  them.  Entertainments  are  frequently 
given  at  the  baths,  over  2,000  spectators  being  accommodated  at 
the  International  Entertainment  of  the  Ravensboume  Club.  A 
popular  innovation  is  the  water  chute,  which  is  used  by  scores  of 
merry  bathers.  The  baths  are  under  the  superintendence  of  Mr. 
Charles  Newman,  who  has  his  whole  heart  in  the  work,  and  many 
enccmiums  have  been  bestowed  on  his  management  by  London 
and  Provincial  Commissioners  who  have  visited  them.  The  boys 
from  the  public  elementary  schools  are  admitted  either  on  payment 
of  the  sum  of  id.  or  on  a  special  voucher  signed  by  the  head 
master  or  mistress  free.  Mr,  Newman  teaches  these  boys  swim- 
ming for  the  pleasure  he  takes  in  it,  but  often  he  has  to  stop  the 
boys  whom  he  finds  so  hungry  as  to  be  unequal  to  the  exertion.  Mr. 
Newman  has  saved  five  people  from  drowning,  and  has  the  Royal 
Humane  Society's  medal  for  saving  life.  In  winter  the  first  class 
swimming  bath  is  closed,  the  second-class  one  being  used  for  first- 
class  bathers  half  the  week  and  for  the  second-class  on  the  other 
days,  and  the  water  kept  at  a  temperature  of  75  degrees.  The 
laundry  is  fitted  up  with  washing  troughs,  steam  drying  horses, 
mangles,  irons,  three  hydro-extractors,  and  a  ventilating  fan. 
There  is  accommodation  for  eighty-four  washers,  who  are  expected 
to  provide  their  own  soap  and  starch,  but  may  buy  them  at  the 
laundry. 

ACCOMMODATION  PROVIDED. 

Swimming  Baths:  One  132  feet  by  31  feet;  3  diving  boards,  spring  board 
and  water  ctiute.    One  74  feet  by  24  feet;  2  diving  boards. 

Number  of  Slipper  Baths:  First  Class,  20  for  men,  8  for  women;  Second 
Class,  26  for  men,  8  for  women. 


MUNlCII'Ali   SYSTEM   OF  FOREIGN    I'.A  1  US. 


W) 


SCALE  OF  CHARGES. 

H.     (J. 

Flrst-ClaHH  SwIminliiK  or  Private  r.nMiH  n     (; 

Second-ClaHH  SwlmniiiiK  Hutli   '»     •''. 

Socond-CluHS  I'rivate  Bath   0    2 

This  establishment  was  opened  in  August, 
1878,  and  is  under  the  control  of  seven  commissioners.  The  private 
baths  are  eighty-nine  in  number.  The  public  laundry  comprises 
thirty-eight  washing  conipai'tments,  with  the  necessary  tubs, 
wringers,  mangles  and  di-ying  chambers.  The  charge  of  the  laun- 
dry is  three  half-pence  an  hour,  and  the  washhouses  are  open  on 
week  days  only,  throughout  the  year,  from  eight  in  the  morning 
until  eight  at  night.  It  was  not  until  1886  that  swimming  pools 
were  opened  at  an  expense  of  ^5,639  i6s.  id.  As  usual  there  are 
two  pools;  the  first-class,  one  hundred  feet  by  thirty-two  feet,  the 
second-class  fifty-three  feet  by  twenty-eight  feet. 

WHITECHAPEL  (GOULSTON  STREET). 


1878  I  1879  I  1880  |  1881  |  1882  [  1883  |  1884  |  1885      1886 


Bathers:—      |  I  |  |  |  I  |  I 

First  Class  .1  4,990  15,237110,917  18,091|19.344  19.714|22,85G|22.249 
Second  Clnss  |21.77(>|49,9rj'(i:{,134|r.4,.519!fiS,07:-!|W.,!t2(i  7."i..=;07  70,240 

Totals. ...  i'Jii.TiUii*;."'-.!  lii^s:;,!).".!  ,s:;,.'.l(»  S7.417,sr,.r,  ii 
Washers 


24,737 
79,535 


;  98,489|104,272 


Whlte- 
chapel, 
London. 


Two 
PooU. 


5 ,024|2(;,9G4|28,321|29.824j27.G93|25,G.^l|24,442  23,461|  21,960 


1887  1    1888  1    1889 

1890-111891-21  1892-3i  lS93-4il894-5 

Bathers:— 
First  Class  . 
Second  Class 

25.771    25,952    27,372 
84.115    88.411    93,647 

29,208    30.784    30,048    29,726'21,908 
98.403|  103,913  102.444    99..3.38  73,433 

Totals .  . . 

109,886|114.3G3|121,019 

127,6111134.6971 132,492|  129,064,95,341 

Washers    . . . 

20,956|  21,826|  21,018|  20,595|  20.563|  18.730|  17,2.56111.326 

NUMBER  OF  BATHERS  USING  THE  SWIMMING  BATHS. 


1889-iX)| 

1890-11 

1891-21 

1892-31     1893-4 

1894-5 

Women's  Second  Class 
Men's  Second  Class  .. 
Women's  First  Class.  . 
Men's  First  Class   . .  . 

45.175 

530 

37,127| 

38,629 
317| 

38,120| 

2,2771 

34.586| 

415! 

36,181| 

32,»l!  f  30.824  1 

33,444 

323 

23,36r» 

1,142 

Totals   

82,832| 

77,066j 

73,4.591 

59,4471       75.669 

58,269 

RECEIPTS  OF  BATHS  AND  WASHHOUSES  FOR  THE  PARISH  OF 
ST.  MARY,  WHITECHAPEL.  FROM  MARCH  25,  1893, 
TO  MARCH  25.  1895. 


Receipts 
from 
Warm 
Baths. 

Receipts 
from 
Wash- 
houses. 

Receipts 
from 
sale  of 
Soap. 

Receipts 

from 

Swimming 

Baths. 

Receipts 

from 

Swimming 

Clubs. 

Receipts 

from 
Bathing 
Dresses. 

Interest  on 
Deposit. 

Total 
Receipts 

from 
allsourcca. 

1893-4 

;^1559 

1894-5 
^1149 

;^541 
352 

£2i 
16 

.^841 
546 

;^388              ;^136                 £7 

3fi8               ?9               r. 

;^3496 
2526 

100 


MAYOR'S    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 


EXPENDITURES  FOR  BATHS  AND  WASHHOUSES  FOR  THE 

PARISH  OF  ST.  MARY,  WHITECHAPEL,  FROM 

TO  MARCH  25,  1S95. 


H 

.  c 
's  ° 

11 

i 

3 

o 
u 

s 

o 

it 

a  a 

II 

a 
o 

en 

S3 

-2 

a 

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a 

CO 

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a 

C3 

a 

0) 

n 

a 

S.2 

a 
.a  a 

a 

2 

3 

a 

i 

o 

II 

"3 
a 

S 
a 

a 
a) 

a 

"3 
H 

1893-4; 

1 

1894-5 

£i22 

^251 

;^917  ;^632  ;^174 

;^32  ;^134  ;^399  ;^26  ;^152  ;^3506 

;^135  £32 

422 

236 

762 

472 

115 

750 

86 

32 

112 

376 

56 

95 

3681 

Edin- 
burgh, 
Scotland. 


Glasgow, 
Scotland. 


At  the  Edinburgh  baths  a  charge  of  2d.  is 
made  to  each  visitor.  Lessons  in  swimming  are  given  at  a  charge 
of  6d.  each  lesson,  5s.  for  twelve,  to  adults;  3d.  each  lesson  for  boys 
and  girls,  2s.  for  a  course  of  twelve  lessons.  There  are  two  swim- 
ming pools,  the  small  first-class  one  being  reserved  for  women  on 
Mondays,  Wednesdays,  Fridays  and  part  of  Saturday.  Special  ar- 
rangements are  made  for  School  Board  children  at  reduced  rates- 
at  fixed  hours. 

PRIVATE   PLUNGE   BATHS. 

s.  d. 

Reserved  Special,  First  Class,  each  person  1  0 

First  Class,  each  person 0  6 

First  Class,  twelve  tickets  5  0 

Second  Class,  each  person  0  3 

Second  Class,  tv^elve  tickets  2  6 

SWIMMING  BATHS. 

First  Class,  each  adult  person  0  4 

First  Class,  twelve  tickets 8  0 

First  Class,  boys  and  girls  under  14  years 0  3 

First  Class,  twelve  tickets  2  0 

Second  Class,  each  adult  person 0  2 

Second  Class,  twelve  tickets 1  6 

Second  Class,  boys  and  girls  under  14  years  0  1% 

Second  Class,  twelve  tickets  1  0 

Restricted  charge  for  school  children  0  1 

Use  of  bathing  pants,  per  pair 0  OYq 

Use  of  bathing  costume 0  1 

Use  of  bathing  cap 0  0^ 

Glasgow  is  not  satisfied  with  providing- 
public  baths  for  the  use  of  its  citizens,  but  aims  to  create  a  demand 
for  these  necessities  of  cleanliness  and  health.  It  was  actually  pro- 
posed to  teach  everybody  swimming  gratuitously,  and  for  this 
purpose  to  establish  small,  properly-equipped  teaching  pools  in 
every  school.    As  the  same  bathers  and  washers  come  with  great 


Opening  Exercises  of  the  Public  Baths  at  Essex  Road.  Islington  (London). 
The  dedication  of  public  baths  is  an  occasion  of  civic  importance,  instanced  by 
the  presence  of  the  Rt.  Hon.  George  John  Shaw  Lefevre.  M.P..  President  of  the 
Local  Government  Board  :  Mr.  Cohen.  M.P.  for  East  Islington,  and  Sir  Albert 
K.  Rollit,  M.P.  for  South  Islington. 


>-; 


sj 


The  Ground  Plan  of  the  latest  Public  Bath  for  Birmingham.  England.  Note 
that  the  building  will  contain  a  branch  of  the  Public  Librar\-.  This  city  now 
operates  five  other  baths. 


MUNICITAI.   SYSTEM    OF  FOllKHJN    liATHH. 


lUl 


regularity,  it  was  estimated  that  the  nunibers  using  tlie  baths  atul 
washhouses  were  only  about  5,000  swimmers,  5,oocj  hot  batliers  and 
3,000  washers.  This  does  not  represent  a  very  large  proportion  in 
a  city  of  700,000  population.  Another  suggestion  made  was  to 
erect  smaller  washhouses  throughout  the  city.  l*:xperience  proves 
that  a  supply  of  public  facilities  for  washing  clothes  creates  a 
demand  even  in  localities  where  every  tenement  has  its  own  wash- 
house  and  drying  court.  Of  the  washers  more  than  half  reside 
within  the  radius  of  a  quarter  of  a  mile  and  very  few  outside  the  half- 
mile  limit. 

Up  to  1895  the  Con)(jration  had  under- 
taken to  wash  the  linen  of  families  at  its  establishments  at  reason- 
able rates,  employing  for  this  purpose  thirty-two  washers  and 
ironers.  The  receipts  in  1894-5  were  i  1,378  4s.  id.;  expenses, 
£1,130  4s.  id.,  leaving  a  net  surplus  of  £248.  The  Factory  and 
Workshops  Act  of  1895  introduced  certain  regulation  in  laundries 
"carried  on  by  way  of  trade  or  for  the  purposes  of  gain,"  which 
would  have  involved  considerable  expense.  This  the  Corporation 
was  unwilling  to  undertake.  For  this  reason,  and  also  on  advice 
that  the  power  to  carry  on  such  a  business  for  profit  was  not  legally 
bestowed  on  the  city  by  the  Act  of  Parliament  providing  for  the 
erection  of  baths  and  washhouses,  it  was  resolved  to  discontinue 
employing  assistance,  and  in  future  only  to  have  the  towels,  etc., 
used  at  the  baths  done  by  the  Corporation's  employees. 


Trade. 


Greenhead. 

Woodside. 

Cranston  Hill. 

Townhead. 

Gorbals. 

Date  ot  opening 

.Vng.  19,  1878 

Sept.  13, 1882 

May,    1883 

June  8,  1894 

April  17,  1885 

Total  cost  of 

erection  of  bnild- 

ings  and  fittings 

;^11889  8  8 

^10102  4  10 

;^15089  2  5>^ 

;^6861  18  4 

;^24890  8  8X 

Large  Pool — 

Capa<'ity,  gal? 

73592 

96440 

104000 

96440 

97552 

Area 

75x35  ft 

75x40  ft 

78  ft-  6  in  bv 
42  ft  6  in  ' 

75x40  ft 

73x39  ft 

Depth 

3  to  6  ft 

3  ft  6  in  to  6 

3  ft  8  in  to  6 

3  ft  6  in  to  6 

4  to  7ft 

ft  10  in 

ft  4  in 

ft  10  in 

Small  Pool- 

Capacity,  galf^ 

20878 

23923 

38551 

34539 

21139 

Area 

35x25    ft 

40x24  ft 

52x28  t\ 

44x28  ft 

38x21  ft 

Depth 

2  ft  8  in  to  5  ft 

2  ft  10   in   to 

3  ft  4  in  to  5 

3  ft  6  in  to  0 

3  ft  to  5  ft  6  in 

5  ft  4  in 

ft  6  in 

ft  8  in 

Dressing  Boxes- 

In  large  pool 

50 

!           60 

77 

82 

54 

In  small  pool 

22 

1           30 

34 

29 

13 

Hot  Baths- 

Men  2d-class 

8 

13 

19 

12 

12 

I\Ien  Ist-class 

20 

l-l 

12 

15 

14 

Women 

4 

.             ( 

10 

6 

6 

Kosher  (Jew- 

1 

ish) 

0 

0 

0 

0 

1 

102 


MAYOR'S  COMMITTEE  ON  PUBLIC  BATHS. 


Greenhead. 

Woodside. 

Cranston  Hill. 

Townhead. 

Gorbals. 

Washiiouses — 

Washing 

Stalls 

44 

67 

73 

78 

54 

Hydro  Extrac- 

tors 

3 

4 

4 

4 

4 

Washing   Ma- 

chines 

6 

6 

8 

6 

6 

Wooden  Boil- 

ers 

2 

2 

2 

2 

2 

Mangles 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Stenter  Rooms 

for     drying 

Curtains 

0 

0 

1 

0 

1 

Size  of  Lann 

dry 

20x18  ft 

25x24   ft 

28xl3>^  ft 

27x13  ft 

Laundry 

tables 

13x3  ft 

Two,  each 

13  ft  X  3  ft 

6  in 

6ftx   4   n  9 

in,  12>^  ft  X 

5  ft 

9  ft  X  3  ft  8  in 

SCALE  OF  CHARGES. 

s.  d. 
Swimming  Pools:— 

Adults 0  2 

Boys  and  girls  under  13  years 0  1 

Women,  twelve  tickets  1  6 

Boys  and  Girls,  twelve  tickets  0  9 

Season  Tickets:— 

Men,  six  months,  April  1  to  September  30 10  0 

Men,  twelve  months,  January  1  to  December  31  ....  12  6 

Women,  six  months,  April  1  to  September  30 3  0 

Women,  nine  months,  March  1  to  November  30 4  0 

Swimming  club  members,  13  tickets  for  the  price  of  12. 
Use  of  Pools  (to  clubs)  between  9  and  10  p.  m. 

Large  pool,  one  night  weekly,  40  bathers 6  8 

For  each  additional  bather 0  1 

Small  pool,  one  night  weekly,  24  bathers 4  0 

For  each  additional  bather 0  1 

Private  Hot  Baths:— 

Men,  First  Class,  each  bather 0  6 

Men,  Second  Class,  each  bather 0  4 

Tickets  in  parcels  of  12  each.  First  Class 4  6 

Tickets  in  parcels  of  12  each,  Second  Class 3  0 

Women,  each  bather 0  3 

Women,  tickets  in  parcels  of  12  2  3 

Washhouses:— 

For  use  of  stall,  wringing  and  drying  appliances,  hot 

and  cold  water,  per  hour 0  2 

Use  of  washing  board   0  1 


RECEIPTS    FROM   BATHERS,    1894-5. 


Greenhead.    ]      Woodside.     Cranston  Hill.  |    Townhead.            Gorbals.       1        Total. 

£       s.  d.      £       s.  d.l     f       s.  d. 
916     8     8  1059     5     4|    814     7  11 

£       s.  d. 
1030     7     7 

£       8.  d.     i-       s.  d. 
1472     1  11  5292  11     5 

MUNICII'AI.   SYSTEM   OF  FOREIGN    KATHH. 
RECEIPTS  AND   EXPENDITURES. 


io;i 


Year. 

HatlKTK. 

WiihIi1ii^;k. 

lUiceiptn. 

LxponditurcM. 

1891-2   

514,2H3 
5HV1  1!) 
54(),()2  1 
527,8i;i 

1«2,458 

170,(W7 

i7;{,;'.ii7 

197,035 

I    srd. 

9,722    0    1 

0,(529     4     4 

9,(M0  18     8 

10,288     0    0 

£       s.  d. 
12,449    4    1 
11,420    9    6 

1892-3   

189.'i-4   

11,218  12  10 

1894-5   

12,294    0    0 

The  decrease  in  the  number  of  bathers  in 
1894,  as  compared  with  the  preceding  year,  is  due  to  the  unfavor- 
able weather.  Notwithstanding  this,  the  revenue  showed  an  in- 
crease, owing  to  the  extraordinary  increase  in  the  number  of 
washers.  How  largely  the  temperature  of  the  air  effects  the  num- 
ber of  bathers  may  be  seen  from  the  following  table  for  the  months 
of  June  to  November,  1891 : 


June. 

July. 

August. 

September. 

October. 

Not 

Weekly        ^ 
Average       [ 
Temperatures  ) 
Corresponding  ] 
with     weekly  1 
Receipts  from  [ 
Ponds. 

70° 

67° 

66° 

;^97 

64° 
;^98 

63° 
;^96 

60° 
;^68 

59° 

;^66 

58° 
;^48 

57° 
;^35 

51° 
;^26 

48° 
£20 

47° 
/13 

DEFICIT  PROVIDED  FROM  ASSESSMENTS. 

1891-2 £2776  4  0  I  1893-4  £1578  0  0 

1892-3  £1791  5  2   1894-5  £2006  0  0 


Berlin  has  earned  well-merited  commen- 
dation for  the  excellence  of  its  baths,  but  it  does  not  yet  consider 
the  provisions  made  sufficient,  and  has  four  large  city  baths  and 
several  river  baths  in  process  of  erection.  Though  there  is,  as 
would  be  expected,  a  deficit  on  the  river  baths,  the  city  derives  a 
small  profit  from  the  baths  taken  altogether.  The  following  is  the 
balance  sheet  for  1894-5: 


Berlin, 
Qermany, 


RECEIPTS. 

By  River  Baths $9,605 

By  City  Baths:— 

(a)  Moabit    11,916 

(b)  Schillingsbriicke  1S.407 

30.323 

Berlin  Society  for  People's  Baths 900 

Total    $40,828 


104  MAYOR'S    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 

EXPENDITUR^ES. 

River  Baths  $12  447 

City  Baths:— 

(a)  Moabit  $11,G20 

(b)  Schilliugsbi-iicke  14.071 

;  25,G91 

Total $38,138 

Surplus   2,690 

$40,828 


Ctty 

Orphan 

Asylum. 


I.      River  Baths. 

There  is  usually  a  considerable  deficit  on 
these  baths,  caused  by  the  large  number  of  free  cards  given.  The 
Poor  Commission  and  the  City  Orphan  Asylum  issued  22,696  of 
these  cards  in  1894-5,  which  were  used  on  an  average  sixteen 
times.  The  previous  year*  20,380  cards  were  used  an  average  of 
twenty  times  each.  Besides  this,  children  from  several  institu- 
tions are  admitted  free  without  tickets.  There  was  a  large  increase 
in  the  number  of  bathers  in  1893  in  consequence  of  the  warm 
weather,  and  there  would  probably  have  been  a  surplus,  but  the 
baths  had  to  be  closed  a  month  earlier  than  usual  on  account  of 
the  cholera,  and  the  wages  of  the  attendants  were  paid  in  full.  The 
season  1894-5  was  a  bad  one,  and  there  was  a  delay  of  two  months 
in  opening  two  of  the  baths.  The  prices  had  been  reduced  in 
many  of  the  baths,  and  there  were  many  expensive  repairs.  The 
largest  attendance  in  1894  was  23,775  in  the  seventeen  baths  on 
July  24th;  16,183  nien  and  7,592  women;  this  was  1,561  more  than 
the  best  day — July  8th — of  1893,  when  22,214  people  bathed  in 
seventeen  baths.  Two  more  new  baths  are  about  to  be  opened, 
and  will  largely  increase  the  accommodation  already  provided. 
The  number  using  the  river  baths  in  the  season  of  1894  was  as  fol- 
lows: 


1894. 


Free. 


On 
Payment 


Total. 


Free. 


On       I 
Payment] 


Total. 


Men: — 

Old  bathing  establish- 
ments     

New  bathing  establish- 
ments   

Women  :— 

Old  bathing  establish- 
ments   

New  bathing  establish- 

ments 

Totals  


185,372 
59,566 

89,295 
22,061 


108,944 
184,876 

82,502 
72,589 


294,316 
244,442 

171,797 
94,650 


240,634 

60,780 

94,3.30 
20,446 


125,9181366,552 
246,496  307,276 


92,917 
71.257 


187,247 
91,703 


356,294 


448,9111805,205 


416,190  i  536,588 1952,778 


MUNICU'AL   SYSTEM    OF  I'(>Iti:i(;.\    HATIIS. 


105 


O 

o 
o 

H 
O 


n  single 

lis 

Twelve 

Baths  i 

ct 

One 

ing  1q- 
n  Cards 
arsons 
Under 
14  years 

SI 

i- 

Swiuiui 

slructic 

for  P< 

Over 

14  vears 

1.19 
.71 

J- 

l-^ 

Season  Tickets 
for  Persons 

Over    1  Under 
14  years!l4  years 

o 

r-I 

3 

'-0 

c5 

ci 

•ll 

CI 

f  Cards 
rsons 

Under 
14  years 

00 

3 

0-: 

F^ 

Monthl 
forPe 

Over 
14  years 

O 

10 

C5 

■|1 

^ 

1  Baths 

arsons 

Under 
14  years 

GO 

3 

Fifteei 
for  P( 

Over 
14  years 

T-t                         ■" 

00 

11 

Bath  for 
sons 

Under 
14  years 

-f            t;:^ 

o 

3 

2  = 

= 

Single  1 
Per 

Over 
14  years 

o       o 

o 

■?1 

8 

r 

* 

1.  In  the  new   Swimming  and  Bath- 
ing Establishments. 

(a)  at  the  Moabit  bridge.  Swim- 

ming pool,  1st  class 

(b)  at  the  Lessing   bridge  swim 

ming  pool,  2d  class 

((;)  Weidendanimer  bridge             ) 

(d)  Muhlen.straase    and    Cuvry-  > 

strasse                                      ) 

c 
« 

ir  «  £  o 

<a  a  §  ^ 

2-1 

illllll 

mill 

o 

persons 

over  14 

admitted 

;    Establi.sl 

1 

-i     .£ 

t-  ■'^  ^  '^ 

ca     ~-  ^ 

J.  ^  =  ., 

7} 

106 


MAYOR'S   COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 


2.      City  Public  Baths. 


Conces- 
sions. 


Berlin  has  at  present  two  handsomely  ap- 
pointed public  bathing  establishments,  containing  swimming  halls, 
slipper  and  douche  baths.  It  is  intended  to  build  four  similar  es- 
tablishments in  various  parts  of  the  city  during  the  next  eight 
years,  and  the  swimming  pools  are  to  be  even  larger,  as  the  present 
ones  have  proved  so  attractive.  In  1894,  in  consequence  of  com- 
plaints from  private  bathing  establishments,  it  was  agreed  to  build 
neither  slipper  nor  douche  baths  of  the  first  class,  nor  vapor  baths, 
and  the  prices  of  slipper  baths  were  raised.  Not  enough  time  has 
yet  elapsed  to  judge  of  the  first  effect  of  this  on  the  attendance, 
though  the  results  for  the  year  show  a  considerable  falling  off  in 
first-class  slipper  baths,  and  in  women's  second-class  slipper  baths. 
Whether  the  private  establishments  are  now  satisfied  or  not,  the 
city  will  make  no  further  concessions,  as  it  considers  the  public 
health  demands  this  limit  as  the  minimum  requirement.  The  ac- 
commodation already  provided  is  as  follows: 


Moabit. 

Schillingsbriicke. 

Swimming  pool : — 

Area         

■59  ft  X  29  ft  6  in 
9  ft  10  in 

16 

3  ft  11  in  X  3  ft  6  in 

7  ft  2  in 
80 

15 

42 

6ft6inx8ft2in 

7  ft  2  in 

7 
22 

52  ft  6  in  X  26  ft  3  in 

Dressing  rooms : — 

22 

Height  of  partition 

Other  dressing  accommodation  for 
Slipper  Baths : — 

98 
7  for  men  &  5  for  women 

25        "        20 

Height  of  partition         

Douche  Baths  : — 
Number  1st  class 

9  for  men,   3  for  women 

Number  2nd  class 

.32         "     11 

Area 

8  ft  6  in  X  4  ft  3  in 

• 

The  outlay  for  site  and  building  of  these 
two  establishments  was  as  follows: 


Moabit. 

Schillingsbriicke. 

Cost  of  buildings  and  machinery . . 
Cost  of  site 

$87,339  07 

25,394  60 

131  85 

$102,776  73 
43,839  60 

Cost  of  fittings 

Totals 

$112,865  52 

$146,616  33 

MUNICIPAL  SYSTEM   OF  FOREIGN    BATU8. 


107 


RECEIPTS. 


!By  bathers 

By  profit  on  swimming  In- 

Htructlon    

By  loan  of  towels,  etc.  :— 

(a)  In  swlmminj?  hall 

(b)  In  other  baths 

By  storing  private  towels, 

bathing  drawers,  etc.  .  . 
By  profit  on  soap  and  sea 

salt   

By    rent  of  dwellings    to 

employes  

By  other  receipts 


ieJ2  55        13U  11 


363  63 
25  97 

183  2n 

02  40 


75  43 


3J>5  94 
16  00 

139  53 

52  60 


1  90 


SchUlingibrQcks 


570 
15 

134 

72 

155 
6 


84 
55 

95 

07 

22f 
67 


73  84 


356  18 

7  88 

85  50 

28  46 

110  41 
2  73 


Totals  |$11,915  <^|$11,277  06l$18,406  83|$11,644  16 


WORKING   EXPENDITURE. 


Moabit 


1894-5 


Salaries    $3,923  27 

Firing  2,999  14 

Lighting    1        540  02 

Water  1     2,080  36 

Maintenance  of  buildings  and 

machinery   

Soap,  soda,  sea  salt,  etc 

Printing  

125  dozen  towels  

Various  expenses  


529  94| 
357  14 
147  27 


443  101 


1893-4 


$3,727  43 

3,055  60 

574  42 

2,464  73 

419  45 
350  84 
138  25 


269  54 


SchJllingBbrficke 


[,849  87 

i,064  01 

598  30 

;,238  47 

911  34 
641  36 
172  35 
278  16 
316  75 


1893-4 


$3,347  61 
2,343  25 

560  06 
2,316  57 

121  07 
378  66 
160  25 


437  97 


Total  

Income 

|$11,620  24  $11,000  26  $14,070  61 

i  11,915  69  11.277  06  18,406  83 

$9,665  44 
11,644  16 

Surplus 

1   $295  45|   $276  80|  $4,336  22; 

$1,978  72 

The  increase  in  the  cost  of  the  water  at  the 
Moabit  baths  was  due  to  the  fact  that  it  was  found  impossible  to 
use  the  deep  wells,  and  the  city  water  had  to  be  used  entirely.  Two 
new  wells  are  to  be  made  and  it  is  expected  that  three-quarters  of 
the  water  can  then  be  obtained  from  this  source,  while  formerly, 
on  account  of  the  great  quantity  of  iron  in  the  water,  it  has  only 
been  possible  to  use  two-thirds  of  the  well  water.  It  is  estimated 
that  the  cost  of  the  wells  will  be  covered  within  a  year  by  the  les- 
sened cost  of  the  water. 

Of  the  amount  spent  at  this  establishment 
for  maintenance,  $216  was  for  tiling  the  walls  of  the  two  cleansing 
rooms  attached  to  the  swimming  bath. 

The  following  was  the  attendance  at  the 
baths  for  the  last  two  years: 


C05t0f 

Water. 


108 


MAYOR'S   COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 


Moabit 

Schillingsbriicke 

1S94-5 

1893-4 

1894-5 

1893-4 

Men 

Women 

Meo       Women 

Men 

Women 

Men 

Women 

Slipper  Bath, 

First  Class  . . . 
Slipper  Bath. 

Second  Class. . . 
Douche  Bath, 

First  Class . . . 
Douche  Bath, 

Second  Class . . 
Swimming  Bath, 

over  14 

under  14 

9,384 

42,414 

3,056 

20,821 

46,619 

18.700 

2,633 

22,157 

431 

2,510 

10,408 
9,606 

12,667 

42,513 

3,639 

13,940 

46,884 
18,052 

5,143 
24,827 



2,733 

9,080 
7,654 

9,247 
57,824 

6,972 

69,229 

82,986 
30,481 

2,457 

33,795 

165 

7,743 

14,692 
10,872 

8,918 
39,550 

3,576 

33,317 

53,824 
18,065 

3,165 

24,234 

111 

3,520 

9,417 

4,392 

Totals 140,994]  47.745|137,695|  49,437|256,739|  69,724|157,250 

44,839 

Moablt 
Baths. 


Art  of 
Swim- 
ming. 


The  Moabit  baths  were  first  opened 
on  November  ist,  1892.  A  severe  winter  followed.  The  attend- 
ance, 1893-4,  showed  a  good  increase.  In  1894-5,  the  increase  in 
prices  previously  alluded  to  caused  a  decrease  in  the  number  of 
first  and  second-class  slipper  baths,  and  of  first-class  douche  baths 
taken.  The  unfavorable  winter  of  1894-5  also  influenced  the  baths 
badly,  so  that  there  was  only  the  ver}^  small  increase  of  less  than 
I  per  cent.  The  average  attendance  per  day  was  517,  while  in 
1893-4  it  was  512.  During  the  months  of  January  to  March,  1895, 
the  numbers  using  the  swimming  bath  were  9,477  men  and  1,854 
women,  and  formed  34.7  per  cent,  of  the  total  number  of  baths  taken, 
while  in  1894  the  numbers  were  higher,  11,119  men  and  1,952 
women,  but  the  percentage  was  smaller — 33.6.  The  best  attend- 
ance was  on  the  Saturday  before  Whitsunday,  May  12th,  1894, 
when  2,635  persons  bathed — 1,352  in  the  slipper  baths,  482  in  the 
douche  baths  and  801  in  the  swimming  baths.  The  Saturday  be- 
fore Whitsuntide,  May  20th,  1893,  2,145  people  bathed,  so  that  this 
showed  an  increase  of  490  or  22.8  per  cent.  The  least  number  of 
baths  given  was  on  January  ist,  1895 — 124 — against  88  taken  on 
January  5th,  1894.  During  the  year  1894-5  swimming  instruction 
was  given  to  363  persons — 155  men  and  158  women,  while  in 
1893-4,  268  persons,  of  whom  143  were  men  and  125  were  women, 
were  instructed  in  this  art. 

On  January  ist,  1895,  women  received  the 
privilege  of  using  the  swimming  bath  on  Monday  evenings  from 
6.30  to  9,  while  before  they  had  only  been  allowed  the  use  of  it  from 
10.30  a.  m.  to  12  m.,  and  from  2  to  4  p.  m.  on  week  days.  Owing 
to  the  colder  weather  no  comparison  can  be  made.  From  January 
to  March  1,854  women  used  the  swimming  bath,  compared  to 


MUNIOirAL   SYS'I'IOM    OF  FOllKUiS    HATIIS. 


Vf.f 


1,952  who  used  it  in  1894,  but  on  the  twelve  evenings  when  it  was 
open  to  them  there  was  a  total  attendance  of  419,  or  an  average  of 
thirty-five  per  evening. 

'J'he  baths  are  open  at  6  a.  in.  from  April 
to  September,  at  7  a.  m.  during  March;  and  October,  anfl  at  7.30 
,a.  m.,  from  November  to  February.  They  chjse  on  Saturdays  at 
■8  p.  m.;  on  Sundays,  in  the  sunmier,  at  ntjon,  in  the  winter  at  i  p.  m., 
and  on  other  days  at  8  p.  m. 

The  Moal)it  baths  were  built  with  a  view 
to  both  suitableness  and  durability.  Two-thirds  of  the  swimming 
bath  is  set  apart  for  swimmers,  and  there  are  two  spring  boards. 
The  bath  can  be  entirely  emptied  in  eight  hours  and  can  be  refilled 
in  five  hours.  There  are  two  cleansing  cells,  for  adults  and  chil- 
dren. Each  contains  two  head  douches,  one  ray  douche,  one  wash- 
basin and  two  tubs  for  the  feet.  Tepid  water  can  be  used  before 
entering  the  swimming  bath,  but  only  cold  must  be  used  after- 
wards. On  February  24,  1895,  ^^^  Berlin  Swimming  League 
gave  a  grand  entertainment  in  the  bath,  consisting  of  swimming 
and  diving.  The  hall  was  decorated  with  flags  for  the  occasion, 
and  there  was  a  very  large  attendance,  including  many  of  the  city's 
representatives.  Four  swimming  clubs  use  the  baths  one  evening 
a  week  each.  The  first-class  douches  contain  an  extra  ray  douche 
of  cold  water,  besides  the  head  douche.  Each  douche-room  is  sub- 
divided into  dressing  and  bathrooms.  Originally  the  water  used 
was  limited  to  ten  and  one-half  gallons,  but  this  did  not  work  well, 
and  with  the  present  unlimited  use  no  more  water  is  actually  used. 
Douches  with  tepid  water  are  provided  in  the  slipper  bath.  The 
rooms  used  for  washing  and  drying  the  linen,  etc.,  have  the  latest 
improvements. 


Berlin 

Swimming 

League. 


The  Schillingsbriicke  baths  were  only 
opened  on  Saturday,  June  24th,  1893,  so  that  it  is  not  possible  to 
properly  compare  the  attendance  with  previous  years.  The  time 
of  opening  and  the  situation  of  the  establishment  were  ven,-  favor- 
able, so  that  it  soon  outstripped  all  similar  establishments.  The 
greatest  attendance  was  on  the  Saturday  before  Whitsunday,  May 
I2th,  1894,  when  4,502  baths  were  taken — 1,599  slipper  baths,  1,238 
douche  and  1,665  swimming  baths.  During  the  previous  period  of 
nine  months  the  largest  attendance  was  on  Easter  Eve,  March  24th, 
1894,  wdien  there  were  3,278  bathers — 1.413  slipper  baths,  826 
douche  and  1,039  swimming  baths.  On  Christmas  Eve  there  was 
the  large  attendance  of  2,711,  of  whom  1,125  took  slipper  baths. 


Schillings. 

brucke 

Baths. 


Deep 
Wells. 


110  MAYOR'S    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 

987  douches  and  599  swimming  baths.  On  thirteen  Saturdays  the 
attendance  was  between  2,000  and  3,100,  and  the  attendance  was 
usually  oyer  1,000  on  Saturdays.  The  least  number  of  bathers  in 
1894-5  was  166  on  Januar}^  i,  1895,  as  compared  with  107  on 
January-  i,  1894.  The  average  number  of  bathers  per  day  was  894 
in  1894-5,  and  only  738  in  the  nine  months  of  1893-4  during  which 
the  establishment  was  open. 

Few  establishments  in  Germany  can 
compare  with  these  baths.  City  water  is  used  almost  exclusively, 
as  it  was  found  impossible  to  use  the  deep  wells,  on  account  of 
the  quantity  of  iron  contained  in  the  water.  It  is  particularly  re- 
markable that  the  swimming  bath  was  so  well  attended,  as  the 
winter  was  very  unfavorable  and  nine  river  baths  are  situated  near 
by.  Of  139,000  who  visited  the  swimming  bath,  54,000  (39  per 
cent,  or  an  average  of  300  per  day)  attended  during  the  winter 
months.  A  number  of  swimming  clubs  use  the  baths  twice  a 
week  regularly  throughout  the  winter.  Swimming  was  taught  to 
260  persons — 155  men  and  105  women — in  1894-5,  as  compared 
with  117  persons — 90  men  and  27  women — who  learned  in  the 
season  of  1893-4.  The  douche-room  of  the  swimming  bath  is 
divided  into  two  parts,  one  for  adults  and  one  for  children.  The 
use  of  the  hall  was  given  free  to  a  swimming  club  for  entertain- 
ments on  October  21,  1894  and  March  17,  1895. 

The  rise  in  prices  in  the  slipper  and  first- 
class  douche  baths  resulted  in  a  decrease  in  both  men's  and  women's 
first-class  slipper  baths,  and,  compared  with  the  corresponding 
period  of  the  previous  year,  a  slight  decrease  in  women's  second- 
class  slipper  and  first-class  douche  baths.  The  men's  douche  baths 
have  shown  an  increase  of  50  per  cent,  and  the  women's  of  52  per 
cent.  On  Saturday  there  are  frequently  more  than  700  baths  given 
in  the  men's  department.  The  greatest  numbers  were  899  on  De- 
cember 24,  1894  and  1,040  on  May  12,  1895.  There  are  only  forty- 
one  cells  for  men  and  the  pressure  on  them  is  very  great.  On  Sat- 
urday and  Sunday  three  of  the  women's  cells  are  used  for  men. 
The  extraordinary  success  of  the  douche  baths,  built  after  a  plan 
recommended  by  Prof.  Lassar,  has  proved  their  suitability  to  the 
needs  of  a  working  class  population  of  small  means. 

The  accommodations  for  washing  the 
linen,  etc.,  used,  are  the  very  best,  being  an  improvement  on  the 
Moabit  Baths. 


MUNICIPAL  8Y8TEM   OF  FOREIGN    BATHS. 


Ill 


SOALfE  OF  CHARGES  FOR  THE  S0HILLING8BRUCKE  BATHS. 


, 

1 

M 

.9 

<s3 

SI" 

■^9  2 

m 

Besides  fOftp  glreu  free 
with  the  hatli. 

Sliijper  liat.h,  Ist  claBS 

.14 

6  baths 

.71 

Sheet  and  towel 

''         «       od      .. 

.07 

r,     " 

.:v; 

One  tfjwel 

Doiiclie  Bath,  Ist  class 

.()(! 

5      " 

.21 

Two  towels  1  F'or  women 

"       2(1       " 

.02 

J- bathing  cap 
One  towel    )        also 

Swiinminf>;    Bath    (in- 

1 

(only 

cindinf:;  use  ol'  douche) 

for 

for  persons  over  14 

.06 

15  baths 

.71 

1.07 

pupils 

"         "    nndcrl4 

.04 

15       " 

.48 

.71 

who 

can 

SAvim) 

Swimming  Lessons 
for  persons  over  14 

1.19 

"         "   under  14 

.95, 

Towel 

.01 
.01 

Bathing  Drawei-s 

Bathing       1 

Cap                     for 

.01 

Bathing       (  women 

Dress           j 

.05 

Bathing  Sheet .... 

.04 

Keeping   and    Drying 
towels    and     bathing 
costumes 

.18 

.48 

Sea-salt  and  soap  baths  are  also  given. 
For  one  pound  of  sea  salt  4  cents,  and  for  one  pound  of  soap  7 
cents  additional  are  charged. 

J.     BatJis  0/  the  Berlin  Society  for  People's  Baths. 

When  these  two  baths  were  built  the  city- 
contributed  $26,000  and  gave  the  site.  In  the  two  years  1893-4  and 
1894-5  the  Society  paid  into  the  city  treasury  each  year  $900, 
amounting  to  3^  per  cent,  on  this  outlay.  In  1894-5  the  income 
was  $12,323.79,  the  previous  year  it  was  S12. 538.89,  showng  a 
decrease  of  $215.10.  The  surplus  at  the  two  establishments  was 
as  follows: 


Oranienburg  Baths. 


Alt  und  Neu  Kolln  Baths. 


1894-5 
1S08-4 


$1,892  10 
1,489  87 


$617  18 
90S  74 


Increase  S402  23 


Decrease  $291  56 


The  societ}^  proposed  to  turn  the  baths 
over  to  the  city,  but  it  was  thought  that  too   much  alteration 


112 


MAYOR'S    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 


Oranlen- 
burs:. 


would  be  required  to  fit  them  to  the  needs  of  municipal  public 
baths. 

The  opening  of  the  Schillingsbriicke  city 
baths,  combined  with  the  unfavorable  season,  caused  a  consider- 
able decrease  in  the  attendance  at  the  Alt  and  Neu  Kolln  baths, 
especially  in  the  slipper  bath  establishment,  while  the  Oranienburg 
baths  showed  a  fair  increase.  The  attendance  at  the  baths  for  the 
years  1893-4 and  1894-5,  was  as  follows: 


Orauienburg  Baths. 

Alt  uud  Neu  Kolln  Baths. 

1S94-5 

1893-4 

Increase 
or  Dec'se 

1894-5 

1893-i 

Increase 
or  Dec's 

Slipper  Baths:— 
Men    

61,146 
25,692 

33,059 

989 
258 

58,500 
24,463 

28,895 

1,122 

234 

+2,646 
+1,229 

+4,164 
—133 

+      24 

54,718 
23,726 

29,798 
616 
161 

59,665 
27,033 

30,701 
841 
440 

—4,947 
—3,307 

Women    

Douche  Baths:— 
Men    

—903 

Women    

—225 

Scholars    

—279 

Totals 

121,144 

113,214 

+7 ,93011  Of*  01  fl 

118,680 

—9,661 

— -)-  — 

Hamburg, 
Qermany. 


Qras- 
brook, 
Veddel, 
Bille. 


As  in  all  cities  the  earliest  baths  in  Ham- 
burg were  river  baths.  The  first  building  erected  in  connection 
with  these  baths  was  put  up  in  1847  ^^  ^^^  Grasbrook,  and  since 
then  has  been  greatly  enlarged  and  removed  to  the  Veddel,  cost- 
ing altogether  $32,249.  There  is  dressing  accommodation  for  405 
men,  including  twenty-five  private  cells,  and  for  486  women,  in- 
cluding 156  private  cells.  In  1889  there  were  160,000  men  and 
111,000  women  bathers.  In  1864  another  bath  was  opened  on  the 
Alster,  for  men  and  boys.  The  swimming  pool  is  347  feet  9  inches 
long  by  91  feet  10  inches  v^de  and  varies  in  depth  up  to  10  feet  6 
inches.  With  the  extensions  in  1890  this  bath  cost  $33,087.  There 
is  accommodation  for  100  in  private  dressing-rooms  and  264  in 
the  common  dressing-room.  A  charge  of  5  pfennigs  (just  over  one 
cent)  is  made  for  a  steamboat  journey  to  and  from  this  bath,  but 
the  bath  itself  is  free.  A  third  river  bath  was  erected  in  1869  on 
an  artificial  island  in  the  Alster  at  a  cost,^  with  improvements  in 
1883,  of  $9,996.  The  water  here  varies  from  6  feet  6  inches  to  8 
feet  6  inches.  The  bathing  place  is  especially  frequented  by  boys. 
Dressing  accommodation  for  555  bathers  is  provided,  including 
twenty-eight  private  rooms.  In  1876  a  fourth  bathing  establish- 
ment was  erected  in  the  Bille.  This  bath  has  a  superficies  of  44,132 
square  feet  and  contains  105  private  dressing-rooms  and  other 
accommodations  for  66  bathers.  The  cost  was  $11,900.  A  swim- 
ming bath  for  women  and  girls  was  erected  in  the  Bille  in  1885,  and 
since  it  was  very  much  more  frequented  than  had  been  expected, 


MUNICIPAL    SVS'I'IO.M    OF  l-()Iti:H;.\    I'.ATHS. 


11  :i 


was  enlarged  in  jXS8.  'i'lie  total  cost  was  $9,758.  The  water 
varies  from  3  feet  3  inches  to  5  feet  3  inches.  There  are  64  private 
rooms  and  accommodation  for  136  additional  bathers.  In  the 
summer  of  1886  this  bath  was  used  by  ii6,cj63  women  and  girls. 

In  1855  an  establishment  was  opened  on 
the  Schweinemarkt  by  the  Patriotic  Society.  The  site  for  this 
building  was  given  by  the  city,  and  the  water  supi)lied  by  the  city 
free,  being  afterwards,  on  account  of  the  high  situation  of  the 
establishment,  used  for  flushing  the  city  sewers.  This  building 
was  the  first  in  Germany  erected  after  the  English  model.  The  cost 
was  $49,028.  There  are  24  first-class  and  25  second-class  women's 
slipper  baths.  These  are  6  feet  6  inches  by  5  feet  9  inches  in  size, 
and  the  partitions  are  6  feet  6  inches  high.  The'  first-class  baths 
are  fitted  with  douches.  There  are  also  two  rain  baths.  Stalls  are 
provided  for  thirty-three  washers.  According  to  statute  only  4 
per  cent,  interest  was  allowed  and  the  surplus  went  toward  the 
extinction  of  the  share  capital.  In  1880  the  entire  capital  was  paid 
back,  but  the  city  allowed  the  Society  to  continue  working  the 
establishment,  on  condition  that  it  built  a  second,  and  still  later  a 
third,  the  same  conditions  applying  as  to  the  first.  A  building  was 
erected  on  the  Schaarmarkt  in  1881  at  a  cost  of  $74,970.  It  con- 
tained a  swimming  bath,  67  feet  3  inches  by  2y  feet  1 1  inches,  the 
water  varying  in  depth  from  3  feet  7  inches  to  7  feet  3  inches.  The 
temperature  is  maintained  at  72.5  degrees  Fahrenheit  by  steam 
pipes.  There  are  besides  7  first-class  and  13  second-class  men's 
slipper  baths,  and  the  same  number  of  slipper  baths  for  women. 
The  use  made  of  these  two  establishments  in  1891  to  1894  was  as 
follows: 


Patriotic 
Society. 


Schweinemarkt. 

Schaarm.irkt. 

No.  of  Bathers 

Hou 

rs  of  Washing 

No.  of  Bathers 

JNo 

of  Swimmers 

1891    

1892    

1893 

182.198 

89.570 

107.105 

112.218 

24.284 
15.937^. 
17,513y2 
17.550y2 

85,572 
57.773 
62,214 
65,185 

1 

1 
1 

69,655 

45,659 

63,113 

103,944 

1894 

The  great  decrease  in  the  use  of  the  baths 
in  1892  was  caused  by  the  outbreak  of  cholera.  The  cit\-  paid  the 
company  for  the  use  of  coal  to  sterilize  the  water  used,  by  boiling 
and  afterward  cooling  to  required  temperature.  The  large  number 
using  the  swimming  baths  in  1894  was  consequent  on  a  50  per  cent. 
reduction  of  prices  in  this  department. 


Cholera. 


114 


MAYOR'S    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 


Avoid 
Dirt. 


The  following  is  a  statement  of  the  work- 
ing expenses  for  1893  and  1894: 

INCOME  FOR  1893  AND  1894. 
SOHWEINEMARKT  AND  SCHAARMARKT  BATHS. 


By  bathers   

By  swimmers 

By  washers 

By  profit  on  soap 

By  profit  on  sea  salt 

By  interest   

By  extra  towels,  swimming- 
girdles,  etc 

By  swimming  instruction  . . 


Schweine- 
markt 


Schaarmarkt 


$9,569  78 

833' 64 

316  77 
27  5() 
18  02 

91  57 


$5,248  14 

3,767  87 

148  30 

10  28 


Schweiue 
markt 


Schaarmarkt 


$10,031  961 


835  50| 

316  47 

24  54 

183  41 


$5,477  97 
3,652  09 


37 
101 


166  26 

15  14 

463  84 


97  58 


Totals  |$10,857  34|  $9,313  28|$11,391 


),872  88 


EXPENDITURE  FOR  1893  AND  1894. 


-■    -  ■ 

1893. 

1894. 

Schweinemarkt.     Schaarmarkt. 

Schweinemarkt. 

Schaarmarkt. 

Interest  on  loans  . . 
Salaries   

$586  25 

$3,792  53           3,618  33 
1,410  29           1,277  55 

$3,822  12 

1,322  50 

98  07 

342  55 

69  72 

404  49 

248  04 

222  65 

24  57 

65  14 

$714  00 
3,606  10 

Fuel 

1,449  90 

Soap,  soda,  etc 

Gas   

Printing   

Artisans'  worlv   . .  . 
Divers  repairs  .... 
Divers  payments  . . 
Small  expenses  .  . . 
Ground  rent  and 
insurance  

97  07                73  03 
345  84              358  83 

79  32              102  34 
608  56              445  01 

174 '56             215  12 
28  46                18  43 

65  14              124  34 

107  12 
418  20 
119  43 
310  84 

72  35 
277  01 

12  94 

124  34 

Totals $6,601  71    |    $6,819  23    |    $6,619  8d 

$7,212  23 

In  1893  a  third  bath  was  erected  in  the 
suburb  of  Eimsbiittel,  on  the  Schaferkampf.  This  contains  60 
slipper  baths — 12  first-class  and  28  second-class  for  men,  and  7 
first-class  and  13  second-class  for  women.  Each  bathroom  is  6  feet 
II  inches  long  by  6  feet  8  inches  wide  and  the  height  is  9  feet  10 
inches  second-class  and  1 1  feet  6  inches  first-class.  The  swimming 
pool  is  39  feet  4  inches  wide,  63  feet  4  inches  long,  with  a  capacity 
of  105,668  gallons.  There  are  53  wooden  dressing-rooms,  each 
4  feet  7  inches  by  4  feet  i  inch,  and  14  lockers.  The  dressing- 
rooms  are  entered  from  the  corridor  so  as  to  avoid  dirt.  Every 
bather  has  to  use  the  douche  bath  before  entering  the  swimming 
pool,  and  a  shallow  tub  is  provided  for  the  feet.  The  temperature  of 
the  hall  in  the  slipper  baths  is  maintained  at  79  degrees  Fahrenheit, 
the  other  rooms  at  ^2  degrees  Fahrenheit.    This  bath  is  managed 


MUNlCll'AL   yYSTEM   OF  FOREIGN    UATllH.  iir. 

by  the  Society  which  manages  the  other  two  baths,  the  Society  re- 
ceiving city  water  free  and  i>aying  interest  on  the  .$9<'j,440,  cost  of 
erection. 

Both  slipper  and  swinnning  baths  are 
opened  from  6  a.  ni.  to  9  p.  m.  from  April  to  Sejjteniher,  7  a.  m.  to 
9  p.  m.  during  March  and  October,  and  from  8  a.  m.  to  9  p.  m. 
from  November  to  February.  Sundays  and  holidays  they  are 
opened  at  the  usual  time,  but  close  at  noon.  Half  an  hour  is  al- 
lowed to  each  bather,  and  towels  and  bathing  dresses  are  provided. 
In  the  slipper  baths  mothers  may  take  a  child  under  eight  years 
of  age  in  with  them.  The  prices  for  baths  at  either  of  these  three 
places  are  as  follow: 

SLIPPER  BATHS  (MEN  AND  WOMEN). 

First  Class  (two  towels)  .$0  12 

First  Class  (10  tickets,  not  good  on  Saturdays  aftor 

5  p.  m.)   1  67 

Second  Class  (one  towel)  07 

Second  Class  (16  tickets,  not  good  on  Saturdays  after 

5  p.  m.)  95 

Sea  Salt  Baths,  first  class 36 

Sea  Salt  Baths,  second  class 31 

SWIMMING    BATHS. 

Without  towel,  but  including  bathing  drawers 04 

One  year,  not  including  washing  of  bathing  apparel  5  95 

Half  year,  not  including  washing  of  bathing  apparel  3  09 
Boys  under  14,  without  towel,  but  including  bathing 

drawers    02% 

Boys  under  14,  one  year,  not  including  washing  of 

bathing  apparel   2  86 

Boys  under  14,  half  year,  not  including  washing  of 

bathing  apparel  1  67 

Use  of  towel  01 

Keeping  and  cleansing  of  bathing  apparel,  per  month  07 

Swimming  instruction,  quarter  year 1  19 

In  1893  the  municipality  erected  a  public 
douche  in  St.  Pauli,  which  \vas  leased  to  the  same  Society  which 
operates  the  baths  previously  mentioned.     This  bath  is  open  all 
the  year  round,  from  6  a.  m.  to  10  p.  m.  in  the  summer  and  from     „       ,  ^   . 
5  a.  m.  to  10  p.  m.  m  the  wmter,  closmg  on  Saturdays  at  12  noon.      Tempera- 
A  charge  of  10  pfennigs  (2^  cents)  includes  the  use  of  towel  and     ture. 
soap.    The  bath  is  built  after  the  pattern  of  the  Frankfort-on-Main 
baths,  and  contains  accommodations  for  ten  men  and  four  women. 
The  douche  apparatus  is  separated  from  tlie  dressing-room  bv  a 
rubber  curtain,  but  this,  not  proving  satisfactor}^,  is  to  be  replaced 
by  an  iron  door.    In  the  douche  cell  there  is  a  deepening  in  the 
center,  a  seat  which  lifts  up  and  is  fitted  with  a  hard  rubber  cushion 


116 


MAYORS    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 


and  a  soap  dish.  The  water  strikes  the  bather  at  an  angle  of  45 
degrees,  and  the  temperature  can  be  regulated  at  pleasure.  At  first 
the  water  allowed  was  limited  to  thirteen  gallons,  but  this  was  not 
a  success^  as  the  apparatus  frequently  went  wrong.  Under  the 
present  system  only  the  same  quantity  is  averaged,  though  no 
limit  is  made.  Twenty  minutes  is  allowed  to  each  bather,  and 
5  pfennigs,  just  over  one  cent,  charged  for  any  excess  of  that  time. 
The  towels  used  are  washed  in  the  basement,  where  the  heating  ap- 
paratus is.  On  account  of  the  cholera  epidemic  just  before  the 
opening  of  the  baths,  it  is  arranged  to  heat  the  water  of  the  Elbe 
to  boiling  point,  and  then  by  mixing  with  city  water  and  cooling, 
reduce  the  temperature  to  112  degrees  Fahrenheit,  and  yy  degrees 
Fahrenheit.  The  average  attendance  at  St.  Pauli  during  1893,  the 
opening  year,  was  147  per  day;  in  1894  there  were  48,138  bathers, 
or  an  average  of  132  per  day.  Provision  is  made  for  450  bathers. 
The  greatest  attendance  was  on  July  7th,  1894,  when  597  people 
bathed.  Among  the  bathers  there  are  few  workers,  the  attendance 
coming  largely  from  the  small  tradesmen  class. 


Gothen- 
burg, 
Sweden. 


The  first  public  bath  in  Gothenburg  dates 
from  1802.  At  present  there  are  two  public  baths,  the  "Renstrom- 
ska  Badanstalten,"  opened  in  1876,  and  the  "Renstromska  Badan- 
stalten  i  Majorna"  (Majorna  is  a  suburb  of  Gothenburg),  opened  in 
1892.  Besides  these,  there  are  three  river  baths  in  the  Gota  Elf, 
open  to  the  public  from  May  to  September.  All  these  establish- 
ments are  maintained  partly  from  city  appropriations  and  partly 
from  the  funds  belonging  to  the  city,  named  "Renstromska  fonden'' 
after  their  founder,  Sven  Renstrom,  a  merchant. 

The  cost  of  the  establishments  was:  For 
the  Renstromska  Badanstalten,  $93,808.33 ;  for  the  open  air  baths, 
about  $800  each;  for  the  baths  at  Majorna,  $27,033.13,  divided  as 
follows : 


Building   $15,716  37 

Boilers,  heating  and  ventilating  apparatus  ....  4,589  92 

Bathing  fixtures  4,015  51 

Furniture 1,288  37 

Plans  and  drawings  464  44 

Insurance   68  68 

Superintendence    482  40 

Judicial  survey  81  74 

Gas  and  coke 139  16 

Water 88  71 

Sundries    97  83 

Total    $27,033  13 


MUNICIPAL    SYSTIOM    OV  I'OllVACS    I'.ATIIS. 


117 


The  open  air  hatlis  arc  free.     'I'lie  re- 
ceipts at  the  otlxT  hatlis  fur  tlic  last  few  years  were  as  f(>llows: 

RENSTROMSK A    BADANSTA LTKN. 


Class  of  Baths. |  181)5 

First  Class I  $7,y82~f9 

Second  Class 4,488  4U 

Third  Class 1  3,02!)  41 

Totils  [$14,895  09 


1894      I       1803      I       1892 
$7,382  O.-', I  .$7,.'-.24  611 '$7,562  75 
4,285  ](»!     4.171  02(     4,511  06 
3,045  «i!»|     li.ssr,   i:,      '.'.oKi  08 


$14,712  82|.'j;i4,880  T.s  .<  I--.  l.V)  89 


RENSTROMSKA  BADANSTALTEN  I  MAJORNA. 

Class  of  Baths.  1894  1893 

Slipper  Baths:— 

First  Class $194  37  $176  68 

Second  Class   418  08  355  64 

Third  Class   437  71  466  18 

Russian  Baths:— 

Second  Class   198  10  148  20 

Third   Class    199  73  164  82 

Shower  Baths 38  4(1  9  41 

Baths  for  School  Children:—  ^ 

At  10  ore  (21/2  cents)  17  04  21  79 

At  5  ore  68  85  67  90 

Other  baths  172  89  192  61 

Total  receipts  $1,745  23  $1,603  23 


The  following  are  the  operating  expenses 
for  1894  at  the  Renstromska  Badanstalten : 

Salaries  $4,451  08 

Fuel    2,302  11 

Water   2,220  79 

Lightins?    818  84 

Washing  of  towels,  etc 1,169  82 

Repairs  and  maintenance   2,339  88 

Printing  and  stationery  52  94 

Soap   47  46 

Telephone   46  01 

Cleaning  and  sweeping 98  99 

Medical  attendance  and  medicine  86  59 

Insurance  and  taxes  121  52 

Written  off  for  depreciation  of  furniture  and 

linen 295  00 

Sundries    69  95 

Total §14,120  98 


At  Alajoma  for  1894  the  operating  ex- 
penses were  $1,926.51,  while  the  cost  of  operating  the  river  baths 
for  the  same  period  was  $411.82. 


118 


MAYOR'S    COMMITTEE    OX    PUBLIC    BATHS. 


Following  is  a  table  showing  the  average 
income  and  average  operating  expenses  per  bath  in  cents: 


Year 

Average 
income  per 
paid  bath 

Average  Operating  Expenses  per  bath  given. 

Salaries 

Fuel 

Water 

Light 

Washing  Repairs  & 
of  Linen    Maint'ce 

Total 

1894    .. 
1893   .. 
1892   .. 
1891   .. 

Cents. 

13.23 

13.41 

13.23 

13.36 

Cents. 

4.01 

3.89 

3.78 

3.61 

Cents. 
2.07 
1.96 
1.98 
2.06 

Cents.    Cents. 
2.00          .74 
1.81        1.01 
1.76          .65 
1.76           .53 

Cents.    Cents. 
1.05        2.84 
1.08        3.29 
1.07        3.22 
1.12        2.57 

Cents. 
12.71 
13.04 
12.46 
11.65 

No  account  is  kept  of  the  number  visiting 
the  open  air  baths,  but  it  is  estimated  that  they  are  used  by  at  least 
8o,ooo  people  in  the  course  of  the  season.  Every  person  taking  an 
ordinary  warm  bath  is  permitted  to  take  with  him  a  child  under 
eight  years  of  age,  without  extra  admission,  and  two  children  under 
the  age  of  twelve  may  use  the  same  bath  upon  paying  the  usual  fee. 
The  baths  taken  at  |he  two  bathing  establishments  were  as  follows : 


RENSTROMSKA   BADANSTALTEN. 


1895. 

1894. 

1893. 

Men. 

Women.  1    Total. 

IMen. 

Women.      I^otal. 

Men. 

Women. 

Total. 

First  Class:— 

Roman  Baths.. 

1,486 

80 

1,566 

1,766 

92 

1,858 

1,837 

74 

1,911 

Turkish  Baths. 

1,898 

118 

2,016 

1,291 

49 

1,340 

1,409 

23 

1,432 

Sitz  Baths   ... 

3,829 

351 

4,180 

2,969 

222 

3,191 

2,416 

209 

2,625 

Slipper  Baths- 

15,224 

6,327 

21,551 

15,587 

6,225 

21,812 

16,165 

6,587 

22,752 

Vapor  Baths  .. 

567 

77 

644 

552 

40 

592 

679 

46 

725 

Shower  Baths. 

105 

105 

96 

96 

92 

92 

Baths   served 

at  home 

114 

90 

204 

137 

124 

261 

106 

59 

165 

Total  first 

1               1 

class  

23,223 

7,043    30,266|  22,398, 

6,752 

29,150 

22,704 

6,998 

29,702 

Second  Class:— 

1 

Russian, 

shower  and 

sitz  baths  .... 

16,671 

1,247 

17,918 

16,674 

1,003 

17,677 

17,561 

900 

18,461 

Slipper  Baths., 

10,615 

9,217 

19,832 

10,196 

8,602 

18,798 

11,162 

8,640 

19,802 

Vapor  Baths  .. 

475 

71 

546 

553 

33 

586 

496 

45 

541 

Shower  Baths. 

136 

136 

103 

103 

147 

147 

Total  second 

i 

class 

27,897 

10,535 

38,432 

27,526 

9,638 

37,164 

29,366 

9,585 

38,951 

Third  Class:— 

Russian  Baths 

13,691 

2,533 

16,224 

13,471 

2,494 

15,965 

12,810 

2,344 

15,154 

Slipper  Baths.. 

12,470 

14,000 

26,470 

11,928 

14,645 

26,573 

11,757 

13,894 

25,651 

Vapor  Baths  .. 

321 

110 

431 

455 

100 

555 

443 

93 

536 

Free  Baths.... 

227 

1,.355 

1,582 

309 

1,309 

1,618 

443 

1,390 

1,833 

Total  third 

class   

26,709 

17,998 

44.707 

26,163 

18,548 

44,711 

25,453 

17,721 

43,174 

Grand  total  

77,829 

35,576 

113,405 

1  76,087 

34,938|111,025 

77,523 

34,304 

1111.827 

MUNICH'AI.    SYSriOM    OF    FOREIGN    I'.A'J'IIH.  W.i 

RENSTROMSKA    MA  I>A  NS'I'A  I/I'KN   I    MAJORNA. 

is;m  189.'{ 

Sllpitcr  ItjilliH,  lirsl cIjihh !»(J7  879 

yiipix'i-  l»!i(liH,  Hcroi.d  cldHH   3,120  2,(\rA 

Slipper  hJilliH,  IliinI  cIjihk 6,5.'{.'{  6,{>r»S 

Russijui  b;it lis,  sccoikI  cIiiks  2,112  1,580 

Ilussiiiii  biilliH.  Ihlrd  (  Ihhh 2,981  2,4<50 

Shower  l)!i  t  1ih   574  2.'{4 

Baths  for  Seiiool  Children:— 

At  10  (ire    63(5  HI.'', 

At  5  (ire    5,i:38  5,007 

Various  batlis  1,648  1.844 

Totals 23,709        22,489 

The  open  air  baths  are  managed  by  the 
city  financial  board,  while  each  of  the  other  public  baths  is  man- 
aged by  a  special  committee. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


Promotion 
of 

Cleaoli- 
ness. 


Vapor 
Baths. 


THE    ADMINISTRATION    OF    EUROPEAN    BATHS. 

The  first  public  baths  in  England  were  the 
St.  George's  Pierhead  Baths,  Liverpool,  opened  in  1828.  In  1849 
the  City  of  Liverpool  erected  two  new  establishments.  In  Sep- 
tember, 1844,  the  Lord  Mayor  of  London  convened  a  meeting 
for  the  formation  of  an  "Association  for  Promoting  Cleanliness 
Among  the  People/'  which  resulted  in  the  establishment  of  one  of 
the  first  baths  and  washhouses  in  London.  The  success  of  these 
baths  was  so  great  that  a  larger  set  was  opened  in  Whitechapel, 
but  the  hopes  raised  by  the  first  success  were  not  sustained,  and 
the  second  establishment  fell  into  decay  until  taken  over  by  the 
Vestry  of  Whitechapel.  In  1846  a  private  association  opened  baths 
in  George  Street,  Euston  Square,  the  water  being  supplied  gratui- 
tously by  the  New  River  Company.  In  addition  to  its  bathing  and 
washing  conveniences,  there  was  a  department  "for  cleansing,  puri- 
fying and  disinfecting  the  dwellings  of  the  poor,"  which  effected 
much  good;  but  the  New  River  Company  abolishing  their  reser- 
voir, the  establishment  had  to  be  closed.  It  had  become  evident 
that  public  baths  and  washhouses  would  not  flourish  under  semi- 
philanthropic  or  private  enterprise.  In  1835  a  bill  to  promote 
public  baths  was  introduced  into  the  House  of  Commons,  but 
failed,  owing  to  the  opposition  to  it.  In  1846,  on  June  8th,  the 
Bishop  of  London  presented  five  petitions  on  the  subject  to  the 
House  of  Lords,  praying  for  increased  facilities  for  cleanliness 
available  for  the  masses,  and  a  bill  was  introduced  on  June  19th, 
which  received  the  Royal  assent  on  August  26th,  1846. 

The  Act  provided  for  the  erection  and 
maintenance  by  cities  and  boroughs  of  bathing  establishments, 
containing  hot  and  cold  slipper  baths,  with  the  necessary  arrange- 
ments for  heating,  lighting,  etc.  Less  than  a  year  afterwardsi  an 
amendment  was  passed  authorizing  the  provision  of  warm  and  cold 
shower  baths  and  vapor  baths,  and  also  of  public  washhouses. 
In  1878  the  Act  was  further  amended  to  make  room  for  swimming 
baths,  now  the  most  popular  feature  of  many  establishments.  The 
Turkish  bath  was  not  well  known  at  the  time  of  the  passing  of  the 
original  act,  or  it  is  possible  it  would  have  been  substituted  for 
the  vapor  bath,  as  affording  the  most  thoroughly  cleansing  bath 
possible.     When  the  Paddington  public  baths  and  washhouses 


'J'JIIO    ADAIIMS'rUA'riO.N    OK    I'CJltlOHJN    I'.ATUS. 


121 


were  about  to  be  erected  in  1874,  apijlicaticjii  was  made  to  ibc  Local 
Government  J5oar(l  to  ascertain  the  legality  or  otherwise  of  includ- 
ing the  Turkish  bath  in  the  proposed  establishment,  and  the  reply 
of  the  Board  was  to  the  effect  that,  although  the  statutes  contained 
no  definition  of  baths,  "the  schedule  to  the  statutes  10  and  11  Vict, 
cap.  61,  recognizes  a  vapor  bath,  and  the  iJoard  therefore  appre- 
hends that  there  would  be  no  legal  objection  to  the  establishment 
of  a  Turkish  bath."  Turkish  baths  are  ])art  of  the  establishments 
at  Birmingham,  Bradford  and  Worthing. 

When  a  city  or  town  wishes  to  establish 
public  baths,  a  committee  of  the  Town  Council  is  appointed  to  take 
charge  of  the  matter.  In  Bootle  this  committee  is  the  Parks  and 
Baths  Committee,  in  Bradford  the  Tramway,  Baths  and  Team 
Labor  Committee,  in  Burnley  it  was  formerly  the  Baths,  Cemetery 
and  Recreation  Grounds  Committee,  and  is  now  the  Town  Hall, 
Baths  and  Cemetery  Committee.  The  Committee  is,  of  course, 
responsible  to  the  Council  and  refers  to  the  Council  on  all  matters 
of  importance.  In  London,  the  government  of  which  is  different  to 
that  of  other  cities,  there  is  another  method.  The  Vestries,  a  kind 
of  district  municipal  council,  appointed  a  small  commission,  usually 
consisting  of  seven,  but  sometimes  of  five  or  six.  commissioners, 
who  had  more  power  than  a  committee,  and  were  only  obliged  to 
refer  to  the  Vestry  when  they  wanted  to  borrow  money.  Since  1894 
this  system  has  been  abolished,  and  the  London  Vestries,  like  the 
provincial  Town  Councils,  manage  their  baths  through  a  com- 
mittee. 

Before  proceeding  to  erect  baths,  the  con- 
sent of  the  Local  Government  Board  to  the  expenditure  must  first 
be  obtained.  The  initial  expenses  are  met  by  a  loan  payable  in  a 
period  of  from  ten  to  fifty  years,  according  to  the  size  of  the  loan, 
the  purpose  for  which  the  expenditure  is  to  be  made  and  the  rate- 
able value  of  the  parish.  Thus  the  Islington  Commissioners  pro- 
cured the  following  loans  for  their  baths,  all  at  3^  per  cent,  up  to 
March  31st.  1895: 


Borrow 
Money. 


Date  of 
Mortgage. 

Per'd 

of 
Loan 

Original 
Amount 
of  Loan. 

Of  whom  borrowed.                              For  what  purpose. 

1891 

vrs. 

Jan,  16  .. 

50 

£8.000 

Prudential  Assurance  Co. 

Purchase  of  Site.  Caledon- 
ian Road. 

May  12  . . 

30 

5,000 

Prudential  Assurance  Co. 

Erection  of  Baths  and 
Washhouses,  Caledonian 
Road. 

June  19  .. 

50 

6,000!London  County  Council.; Purchase  of  Site.  Hornsey 

j                                                                  Road. 

121i 


MAYORS    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 


Per'd 

Origiual 

Mortgage. 

of 
Loan 

umouut 
of  Loan. 

Ofw 

•horn  borrowed.                                For  what  purpose. 

isyi 

Nov.  6   .. 

30 

£5,000 

Prudential  Assurance  Co.  i:rection    of    Baths    and 

Washhouses,      Hornsey 

Road. 

Dec.  7  . . . 

30 

5,000 

London 

County 

Council. 

Erection  of  Baths  and 
Washhouses,      Hornsey 

1S92 

Road. 

March  IS.. 

30 

3.000 

Prudential  Assu] 

•ance  Co. 

Erection    of    Baths    and 

Washhouses,  Caledonian 

Road. 

March  30.. 

CO 

5,000 

London 

County 

Council. 

Erection  of  Baths  and 
Washhouses,  Hornsey 
Road. 

May  20  . . . 

30 

5,000 

London 

County 

Council. 

Erection  of  Baths  and 
Washhouses,  Hornsey 
Road. 

Erection    of    Baths    and 

June  3  . .. 

10 

4,000 

Prudential  Assurance  Co. 

Washhouses,  Caledonian 

Road. 

June  16  . . 

30 

3,500 

London 

County 

Council. 

Erection  of  Baths  and 
Washhouses,  Hornsey 
Road. 

Nov.  23  . . 

15 

5,500 

London 

County 

Council. 

Erection  of  Baths  and 
Washhouses,       Hornsey 

1893 

Road. 

April  1    .. 

30 

9,600 

London 

County 

Council. 

Erection  of  Baths  and 
Washhouses,  Hornsey 
Road  and  Caledonian 
Road. 

April  1   .. 

10 

1,800 

London 

County 

Council. 

Erection  of  Baths  and 
Washhouses,  Hornsey 
Road. 

Dec.  8   ... 

25 

11.2.50 

London 

County 

Council. 

Purchase  of  Site  and  Erec- 
tion of  Baths,  etc.,  Tib- 

1894 

berton  Square. 

May  11  .  . 

25 

10,000 

London 

County 

Council. 

Purchase  of  Site  and  Erec- 
tion of  Baths,  etc.,  Tib- 
berton  Square. 

Oct.  18  .  . 

25 

10,000 

London 

County 

Council. 

Purchase  of  Site  and  Erec- 
tion of  Baths,  etc.,  Tib- 

Total 

£97,650 

berton  Square. 

Of  this  sum  ^5467  los.  id.  of  the  principal 
had  been  repaid  up  to  March  31st,  1895,  and  also  interest  to  the 
amount  of  £6876  19s.  id.  (less  income  tax).  This  leaves  a  capital 
sum  outstanding  of  £92,182  9s.  iid. 

For  the  year  ending  March  31st,  1895,  the 
payments  of  principal  and  interest  were  as  follows : 


Repayment  of  Loan. 

£  s.  d. 

Caledonian  Road    747  0    9 

Hornsey  Road 1,548  6     8 

Tibberton  Square  450  0    0 

Total £2,745     7     5 


Interest. 

£  s.  d. 

809  5     4 

1,306  19     5 

711  10     6 

£2.887  15     3 


THE   ADMINISTRATION    Ol'    FOREIGN    BATHS.  123 

The  income  from  the  baths  usually  hardly 
meets  workiiif:^  expenses,  although  occasifjnally  there  is  a  slight  guj^^t 
surplus.  Any  deficit,  and  the  amount  recjuired  to  meet  payments  surpliw. 
of  principal  and  interest,  comes  out  of  the  rates.  As  the  loans  are 
paid  o(i  the  tax  becomes  less  until,  when  all  the  loans  are  paid  off, 
a  very  small  annual  payment  is  necessary  to  cover  the  working 
expenses.  In  the  Parish  of  St.  James,  Westminster,  which  erected 
baths  in  1851,  the  total  charge  on  the  rates,  for  site,  erection  of 
buildings  and  maintenance  since  erection,  has  only  been  £26,621. 
This,  spread  over  a  period  of  forty-five  years,  amounts  to  £592  or 
$2,890  per  annum;  and  for  this  well-appointed  cleansing  baths  and 
washhouses  have  been  maintained,  and  a  swimming  bath  has  lately 
been  opened. 

The  rules  and  regulations  at  the  baths 
differ  very  little,  and  those  of  the  St.  Margaret  and  St.  John,  West- 
minster, baths  may  be  taken  as  an  example  of  many  others : 

Firs/  Class  Private  Baths. 
Warm  or  cold  Baths 6d. 

Rules  and  Regulations. 

Attention  is  directed  to  the  printed  Bye-Laws. 

Each  bather  is  provided  with  a  bath  of  the  desired  temperature, 
with  the  use  of  two  clean  towels. 

Half  an  hour  is  allowed  to  each  bather  from  the  time  of  enter- 
ing and  leaving  the  bathroom.  Bathers  will  please  ring  the  bell 
should  they  require  the  attendant. 

The  admixture  of  any  chemical  except  soap  with  the  water  in 
the  bath  is  strictly  prohibited. 

If  soap  and  extra  towels  are  required  they  can  be  obtained  at 
the  pay  office  at  a  charge  of  id.  each  article.  (Please  see  that  you 
get  a  ticket  for  same.)  The  attendants  are  not  allowed  to  supply 
soap  or  extra  towels. 

Please  avoid  talking  in  the  bathroom,  as  it  distracts  the  atten- 
tion of  the  attendant,  and  when  quitting  the  bathroom,  leave  the 
door  open,  the  water  in  the  bath,  and  the  towels  on  the  seat. 

Bathers  unable  to  wait  their  turn  may  have  their  tickets  en- 
dorsed by  the  money-taker  for  use  another  day,  but  no  money 
can  be  returned,  nor  will  the  ticket  be  available  for  another  day 
except  so  endorsed. 

Water  closets  are  provided. 

No  smoking  or  drinking  spirituous  or  malt  liquors  allowed  in 
the  building. 


Ili4  MAYORS    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 

Dogs  are  not  allowed  within  the  building. 

No  employe  is  allowed  to  take  any  gratuity  whatever,  on  pain 
of  dismissal. 

No  disorderly  conduct,  indecent  or  offensive  language  allowed 
in  the  building. 

Do  not  remain  in  the  bath  whilst  hot  water  is  being  supplied. 

Bathers  committing  wilful  damage,  interfering  with  the  com- 
fort of  another  or  interrupting  any  of  the  servants  in  their  duty, 
will  be  proceeded  against  under  the  bye-laws  for  the  full  penalty 
of  40s. 

By  Order  of  the  Commissioners, 

(Signed)    CHARLES  NEWMAN, 

Superintendent. 

Second  Class  Private  Baths. 

Warm  Bath 2d. 

Cold   id. 

Rules  and  Regulations. 

Attention  is  directed  to  the  printed  Bye-Laws. 

Each  bather  is  provided  with  a  bath  of  the  desired  temperature, 
with  use  of  one  clean  towel.  (Extra  towels  can  be  had  if  desired 
by  purchasing  an  extra  towel  ticket  at  the  pay  office.) 

Half  an  hour  is  allowed  to  each  bather  from  the  time  of  en- 
tering and  leaving  the  bathroom. 

No  smoking  or  drinking  spirituous  or  malt  liquors  is  allowed 
in  the  building. 

The  admixture  of  any  chemical  or  other  preparation  except 
soap  with  the  water  in  the  bath  is  strictly  prohibited.  Soap  and 
extra  towels  can  only  be  obtained  at  the  pay  office,  at  a  charge  of 
id.  each  article.  (Please  see  that  you  get  a  ticket  for  the  same.) 
The  attendants  are  not  allowed  to  supply  soap  or  extra  towels. 

Bathers  are  requested  to  decide  as  to  the  temperature  of  water 
they  require  before  the  attendant  leaves  the  bath,  as  the  calling  out  of 
numbers  is  likely  to  cause  confusion.  To  avoid  talking  in  the  bath- 
room, as  it  distracts  the  attention  of  the  attendant,  and  when  quit- 
ting the  bathroom  to  leave  the  door  open,  the  water  in  the  bath 
and  the  towels  on  the  seat. 

Bathers  unable  to  await  their  turn  may  have  their  tickets  en- 
dorsed by  the  money-taker  for  use  another  day,  but  no  money  can 
be  returned,  nor  will  the  ticket  be  available  for  another  day  except 
so  endorsed. 


THE    ADMlMS'l'KA'l  I<>.\    (Jl''    J'OllKKjiN    IJATLI.S.  125 

Water  chjscts  arc  ijr(jvi(lc(l. 
Dogs  arc  not  adiiiiUcd  within  the  buii'liiig. 
No  person  employed  in  the  estabhshuient  is  allowed  to  take 
any  gratuity  whatever,  on  pain  of  dismissal. 

Bathers  are  particularly  asked  nc;t  to  stand  on  the  towels. 
Bathers   conunitting  wilful   damage,   or  interfering   with   the 
comfort  of  another,  or  interruptmg  any  of  the  servants  in  their 
duty,  will  be  proceeded  against  under  the  bye-laws  for  the  full  pen- 
alty of  40s, 

No  disorderly  conduct,  indecent  or  offensive  language  allowed 
in  the  building. 

By  Order  of  the  Commissioners, 

(Signed)    CHARLES  NEWMAN, 

Superintendent. 

Rules  and  Regulations  for  Bathers. 
Swimming  Baths. 

Half  an  hour  only  is  allowed  to  each  bather. 

No  bad  language  or  whistling  allowed. 

Do  not  spit  in  the  water. 

No  smoking  or  drinking  intoxicating  liquors  allowed. 

Leave  the  building  directly  you  are  dressed. 

Return  your  towels  and  hired  drawers  to  the  bath  attendant  on 
leaving. 

Diving  from  the  boxes  is  strictly  forbidden. 

Soap  must  not  be  used  in  the  swimming  bath. 

Any  person  who  shall  wilfully  offend  against  the  foregoing 
rules  and  regulations  will  be  immediately  expelled,  refused  admit- 
tance on  a  future  occasion,  and  proceeded  against  for  the  full  pen- 
alty of  40s. 

The  Commissioners  are  not  responsible  for  articles  lost  by 
bathers  in  the  establishment. 

By  Order  of  the  Commissioners. 

Notice  to  Co7iipetitors. 
Swimming  Baths. 

1.  Do  not  fail  to  wear  bathing  Drawers  under  your  costumes. 

2.  Do  not  enter  the  water  bet^veen  the  diilFerent  heats  or 
events. 

3.  Do  not  interfere  with  the  valves,  bath  fittings  or  furniture. 


12G  MAYOR'S    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 

4.  Do  not  shout  or  make  unnecessary  noises,  as  it  distracts 
the  attention  of  the  bath  attendant. 

■5.  Do  not  stand  or  loiter  round  the  sides  of  the  bath  before  the 
heat  or  event  you  are  to  compete,  but  walk  in  the  dressing-room 
until  notified. 

6.  Do  not  stand  or  loiter  round  the  sides  of  the  bath  after 
you  have  competed,  but  proceed  to  your  dressing-room,  unless 
otherwise  requested. 

(Signed)    CHARLES  NEWMAN, 

Superintendent. 

Switnmiiig. 

Certificate  of  Proficiency. 

THIS  IS  TO  CERTIFY  that 

aged  residing  at  . has 

acquired  the  art  of  Swimming,  under  my  tuition,  and  is  proficient 

in 

Westminster  Baths,  London,  S.  W. 
189     . 


Instructions  for  the  Proper  Use  of  the  Water  Chute. 

Get  yourself  into  position  by  the  use  of  the  ropes. 

Do  not  hold  the  sides  of  the  chute  while  sliding. 

Keep  the  head  well  down  and  the  body  stiff. 

Do  not  run  down  the  chute. 

Not  more  than  two  persons  must  use  the  chute  at  one  time. 

Do  not  crawl  up  the  chute. 


Notice  to  Club,  School  and  Special  Ticket  Holders. 

All  club  and  school  tickets  must  have  the  name  of  the  club 
or  school  issuing  the  same,  written  or  stamped  across  the  face 
of  such  tickets  before  presentation  at  the  pay  office,  and  they,  and 
also  special  book  tickets,  must  be  shown  to  the  money-taker,  who 
will,  previous  to  the  issuing  of  towels,  stamp  such  tickets  with  the 
official  date  stamp. 

Club  and  school  tickets  are  not  transferable,  and  will  only  be 
accepted  from  bona  fide  members  of  the  clubs  and  scholars  of 
schools  having  permission  to  use  them;  any  other  person  present- 
ing them  will  not  be  admitted,  and  the  club  or  school  issuing  the 
same  will  not  be  allowed  further  concession. 

Members  of  clubs  must,  if  required,  produce  their  cards  of 
membership  before  using  the  swimming  baths. 


THiO    ADMINLSTRA'J'KJ.N    <>I'    I'OJUOKi.X    I'.ATIIS.  127 

All  school  Ijallicrs  imist  Ik-  in  charge  of  a  iiiaslcr  or  mistress, 
and  under  proper  conlrcjl. 

Members  of  clubs  are  respectfully  ashed  to  assist  the  manage- 
ment by  leaving  the  baths  directly  after  practice,  in  order  to  allow 
others  to  bathe. 

Polo  practice  not  allowed  vvilhout  perniission  of  the  Superin- 
tendent. 

By  Order. 

How  to  Save  Life  from  Drouming  in  a  Balh. 
Newman's  Method. 

Approach  the  person  (if  possible)  from  behind,  grasp  by  or 
near  the  waist,  the  position  of  the  arms,  together  with  the  weight 
of  the  drowning  person,  will  cause  you  to  sink.  Immediately  your 
feet  touch  the  bottom  of  the  bath,  you  will  find  that  though  you  are 
under  water,  the  drowning  person  will  not  only  be  on  or  above  the 
surface,  but  that  you  will  be  able  to  walk  to  the  side  of  the  bath  and 
deposit  your  burden  with  comparative  ease  and  safety. 

This  method  only  applies  where  a  person  has  to  be  rescued 
in  the  deep  end  of  the  bath,  and  may  be  successfully  accomplished 
by  a  non-swimmer,- 

To  Restore  the  Apparently  Drowned. 
Mode  of  Procedure. 

Place  the  patient  on  the  side  of  the  bath,  face  downwards,  and, 

1.  Loosen  the  bathing  drawers  at  the  waist. 

2.  Stand  astride  the  patient  with  your  face  towards  the  head, 
lock  your  fingers  together  under  the  abdomen  and  raise  the  body 
as  high  as  possible  without  lifting  the  head  or  toes  from  the  ground, 
at  the  same  time  jerking  the  body  of  the  patient  in  order  to  remove 
mucus  and  water  from  the  wandpipe. 

3.  Turn  the  patient  on  his  back  and  slightly  raise  the  upper 
portion  of  the  body  by  placing  something  under  the  shoulder 
blades ;  cleanse  the  mouth  and  nostrils,  open  the  mouth,  draw  forth 
the  tongue  and  secure  it  by  an  elastic  band  or  string  under  the 
patient's  chin. 

4.  Proceed  to  draw  the  air  into  the  lungs  by  grasping  the 
patient's  arms  above  the  elbows  and  draw  them  up  gently  until 
they  meet  above  the  head,  bring  them  down  again  and  press 
firmly  against  the  sides  of  the  chest  whilst  an  attendant  is,  at  the 
same  time,  gently  pressing  the  abdomen :  repeat  these  actions  alter- 


128 


MAYORS    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 


nately  until  there  is  some  perceivable  effort  by  the  patient  to 
breathe,  remembering  that  it  may  be  an  hour  or  more  before  your 
efforts  prove  successful.  During  these  operations  the  patient's 
hands  and  legs  may  be  rubbed  briskly,  and  smelling  salts  placed  to 
the  nostrils. 

5.  When  the  patient  commences  to  breathe,  induce  circulation 
and  warmth  by  rubbing  the  body  with  warm  cloths  or  briskly  with 
your  hands.  Hot  water  bottles  may  also  be  put  to  the  soles  of  the 
feet. 

6.  When  the  patient  can  swallow,  give  hot  coffee,  milk  or 
brandy. 


Provincial 
Baths. 


Closets 

and 

Boxes. 


As  an  illustration  of  the  by-laws  govern- 
ing provincial  baths,  those  of  Birmingham  are  annexed,  having 
been  copied  by  many  other  cities.  In  some  places,  the  penalty  at- 
tached to  violation  of  the  rules  is  higher;  in  Coventry,  for  instance, 
it  is  is  ($25). 

"2.  Every  person  resorting  to  the  public  baths  shall,  before 
being  admitted  to  any  bath  or  bathroom,  obtain,  by  payment,  from 
the  authorized  money-taker,  a  ticket  whereon  shall  be  stated,  in 
addition  to  such  other  particulars  as  the  Town  Council  may  from 
time  to  time  direct,  the  class  or  description  of  bath  to  which  such 
person  shall  be  entitled  to  be  admitted,  and  every  person  shall, 
on  being  admitted  to  use  any  bath,  deliver  to  the  bath  attendant, 
or  other  servant  employed  thereat,  such  ticket  of  admission  as  shall 
have  been  issued  by  the  authorized  money-taker. 

"3.  Every  bather  in  the  swimming  and  plunging  baths  shall 
wear  bathing  drawers,  costume,  or  bathing  dress,  and  such  drawers, 
costume,  or  dress  must  be  made  of  material  that  will  not  discolor 
the  water. 

"4.  No  bath  attendant,  officer,  or  servant  employed  at  the 
public  baths,  other  than  a  duly  authorized  money-taker,  shall  re- 
ceive from  any  person  resorting  thereto  any  payment  for  the  hire 
or  use  of  any  articles,  or  for  any  purpose  whatsoever,  without  the 
knowledge  and  consent  of  the  superintendent. 

"5.  A  person  resorting  to  the  public  baths  shall  not,  by  forcible 
or  improper  means,  seek  admission  to  any  bathroom  or  compart- 
ment which  shall  be  occupied  by  any  person  using  a  separate 
bath. 

"6.  A  person  resorting  to  the  public  baths  shall  not,  by  forcible 
or  improper  means,  seek  admission  to  any  swimming  bath  at  any 
time  when  such  swimming  bath  or  the  dressing-rooms,  closets, 


I'lll]    AI)Mh\Ih3TUATK)N    OK    FOItEIGN    HATIIS.  lli!) 

boxes,  or  conip.irlinciits  attaclicd  thereto  shall  he  occupied  by  the 
full  numher  of  persons  authorized  to  use,  at  one  and  the  same  time, 
such  swiuHuing  bath,  or  dressin^j-roonis,  closets,  boxes  or  com- 
partments. 

"7.  A  person  resortinj:^  to  the  public  baths  shall  not,  by  for- 
cible or  improper  means,  seek  admission  to  any  bathroom  or  dres- 
sing-room before  any  person  who,  by  j^riority  of  payment,  shall  be 
entitled  to  prior  admission  to  such  bath,  Init  each  person  shall  be 
admitted  consecutively  in  the  order  indicated  by  the  number  on  the  Waiting. 
tickets  of  admission. 

"8.  A  person  resorting  to  the  public  baths  shall  not  use  any 
bath  of  a  higher  class  or  description  than  that  of  the  bath  for  which 
he  shall  have  obtained  a  ticket  of  admission. 

"g.  Every  person  resorting  to  the  public  baths  shall,  while 
waiting  on  the  premises  for  admission  to  any  bath  or  bathroom, 
remain  only  in  such  portion  of  the  premises  as  shall  be  set  apart  as 
a  waiting-room  for  intending  bathers,  and  no  person  shall  be  ad- 
mitted to  any  other  part  of  the  establishment,  excepting  to  that 
for  which  he  shall  have  obtained  a  ticket. 

"10.  A  person  resorting  to  the  public  baths  shall  not,  after 
using  any  bath  or  quitting  any  bathroom,  dressing-room  or  com- 
partment, loiter  or  remain,  without  reasonable  excuse,  in  any 
passage  leading  to  or  from  an}^  bath  or  bathroom. 

"11.  A  person  resorting  to  the  public  baths  shall  not,  at  any 
time  after  being  admitted  at  any  swimming  bath,  or  while  occupy- 
ing any  dressing-room,  closet,  box,  or  compartment  attached 
thereto,  enter  or  seek  admission  to  any  other  dressing-room,  closet, 
box  or  compartment,  when  occupied  by  any  person,  without  the 
consent  of  such  person,  or  otherwise  knowingly  intrude  upon  or 
interfere  with  the  privacy  of  any  other  person  using  such  swim- 
ming bath  or  occupying  any  dressing-room,  closet,  box  or  com- 
partment attached  thereto. 

"12.  A  person  resorting  to  the  public  baths  shall  not,  at  any 
time  after  being  admitted  to  or  while  occupying  any  bathroom  or 
compartment  containing  a  separate  bath,  enter  or  seek  admission 
from  such  bathroom  or  compartment  when  occupied  by  any  per- 
son, without  the  consent  of  such  person,  or  otherwise  knowingly 
intnide  upon,  or  interfere  with  the  privacy  of  any  person  occupying 
any  adjoining  bathroom  or  compartment. 

"13.  A  man  or  boy  above  eight  years  old  resorting  to  the  public 
baths  shall  not  enter  or  use  any  bath  which  shall  be  appointed  or 


Man  or 
Boy. 


130 


MAYOR'S    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 


Turkish 
Bath. 


Malt 
Liquor. 


appropriated  for  the  use  of  any  woman,  or  girl,  or  child  under  eight 
years  old. 

"14.  A  woman  or  girl,  or  child  under  eight  years  old  resorting 
to  the  public  baths  shall  not  enter  or  use  any  bath  which  shall  be 
appointed  or  appropriated  for  the  use  of  any  man  or  boy  above 
eight  years  old. 

"15.  A  person  shall  not  knowingly  occupy  any  private  bath- 
room or  any  dressing  room  in  the  swimming  or  plunge  bath  for  a 
longer  period  than  thirty  minutes,  nor  any  dressing-room  in  the 
Turkish  bath  department  for  a  longer  period  than  two  hours,  un- 
less such  person  shall,  upon  demand  being  made'  by  the  superin- 
tendent (or  by  the  bath  attendant  acting  upon  his  instructions), 
pay  to  such  superintendent  a  sum  equal  to  the  amount  previously 
paid  by  such  person  as  a  charge  for  admission  to  such  bathroom  or 
swimming  bath. 

"16.  Every  person  resorting  to  the  public  baths  shall,  at  all 
times,  exercise  reasonable  and  proper  care  in  the  use  of  any  bath 
or  bathroom,  dressing-room,  closet,  box  or  compartment. 

"17.  A  person  resorting  to  the  public  baths  shall  not,  at  any 
time,  carelessly  or  negligently  break,  or  injure,  or  improperly  inter- 
fere with  the  due  and  efficient  action  of  any  lock,  cock,  valve  pipe, 
work,  or  engine  or  machinery  in  connection  with  any  bath,  or  care- 
lessly or  negligently  injure  any  furniture,  fittings,  or  conveniences 
of  any  bath,  bathroom,  dressing-room,  closet,  box  or  compartment. 

18.  A  person  resorting  to  the  public  baths  shall  not,  at  any 
time,  carelessly  or  negligently  injure  or  destroy  any  towel  or  other 
linen,  or  other  article  supplied  for  his  use. 

"19.  A  person  resorting  to  the  public  baths,  and  any  ofBcer 
or  servant  or  other  person  employed  thereat,  shall  not,  at  any  time, 
introduce  into  the  building  any  spirituous  or  intoxicating  liquors, 
or  smoke  or  drink  any  malt  liquor  therein. 

"20.  A  person  resorting  to  the  public  baths  shall  not  at  any 
time,  while  being  on  the  premises,  use  any  indecent  and  offensive 
language,  or  behave  in  an  indecent  and  offensive  manner. 

"21.  Any  person  resorting  to  the  public  baths  shall  not  at  any 
time,  while  being  upon  the  premises,  by  any  disorderly  or  improper 
conduct,  disturb  or  interrupt  any  other  person  in  the  proper  use 
of  any  bath,  bathroom,  dressing-room,  closet,  box  or  compartment, 
or  any  officer,  servant,  or  person  appointed  or  employed  by  the 
Town  Council,  in  the  proper  execution  of  his  duty. 

"22.  A  person  resorting  to  the  public  baths  shall  not  cause  or 
allow  any  dog  belonging  to  such  person  or  under  his  control,  to 


THE    ADMINISTRA'I'IO.N    OK    FOREIGN    BATHS.  131 

enter  or  remain  in  any  batii,  hatiuvKjin,  dressing-room,  closet,  box 
or  compartment,  or  in  any  passage  leading  to  or  from  any  bath  or 
bathroom. 

"23.  A  person  resorting  to  the  public  baths  shall  not  at  any 
time,  while  being  in  any  swimming  l^ath,  use  any  soap  or  other  sub- 
stance or  preparati(ni  whereby  the  water  in  such  swimming  bath 
may  be  rendered  turbid  or  unfit  for  the  proper  use  of  bathers. 

"24.  A  person  resorting  to  the  public  baths  shall  not  wilfully 
and  improperly  foul  or  pollute  the  water  in  any  separate  bath  or  in 
any  swimming  bath,  or  wilfully  or  improperly  soil  or  defile  any 
towel,  bathing  drawers,  or  bathing  dress  supplied  for  his  use,  or 
any  bathroom,  dressing-room,  closet,  box  or  compartment,  or  any 
furniture  or  article  therein. 

"25.  A  person  resorting  to  the  public  baths  shall  not  at  any 
time,  while  suffering  from  any  cutaneous,  infectious  or  contagious 
disease,  enter  or  use  any  swimming  bath  or  any  separate  bath. 

"26.  A  person  resorting  to  the  public  baths,  and  any  officer 
or  servant  employed  thereat,  finding  any  article  which  may  have 
been  left  in  any  bathroom,  or  dressing-room,  or  in  any  other  part 
of  the  establishment,  shall,  immediately  after  finding  such  article, 
deliver  the  same  to  the  superintendent  (or  other  person  authorized 
to  receive  such  articles),  who  shall  thereupon  register  a  description 
of  the  same  and  all  particulars  relating  thereto  in  the  book  kept 
for  that  purpose,  and  any  person  losing  such  article  shall,  upon 
giving  satisfactory  proof  thereof,  receive  such  article  from  the 
superintendent  (or  other  person  authorized  to  receive  such  articles) 
upon  entering  his  or  her  name  in  the  book  referred  to. 

Penalties. 

"27.  Every  person  resorting  to  the  public  baths  who  shall  of- 
fend against  any  of  the  foregoing  by-laws  shall  be  liable  for  every 
oflfence  to  a  penalty  of  forty  shillings  ($10). 

"Provided,  nevertheless,  that  the  justices  before  whom  any  com- 
plaint may  be  made  or  any  proceedings  may  be  taken  in  respect  of 
any  such  ofTence  may,  if  they  think  fit,  adjudge  the  payment,  as 
a  penalty,  of  any  sum  less  than  the  full  amount  of  the  penalty  im- 
posed by  this  by-law. 

(Signed)  E.  O.  SMITH. 

"Town  Clerk." 

The  Baths  and  Washhouses  Act  stipulates 
that  the  number  of  baths  for  the  laboring  classes  in  public  baths 
and  washhouses  shall  not  be  less  than  twice  the  number  of  baths 


132  MAYOR'S    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 

of  any  higher  class  if  but  one,  or  of  all  the  baths  of  any  higher 
classes,  if  more  than  one,  in  the  same  building.  In  practice  this  is 
usually,  but  not  always,  adhered  to.  There  are  generally  two  classes 
of  baths;  the  first-class  price  for  both  slipper  and  swimming  baths 
Cold  ^s  most  commonly  6d.    Second-class  private  baths  are  3d.  and  2d. 

Bath  in  different  establishments.    A  cold  bath  is  usually  cheaper.    For  a 

Cheaper,  second-class  swimming  bath  also,  3d.  or  2d.  is  charged;  the  latter 
charge  is  usually  where  a  private  dressing-room  is  not  provided. 
Extra  charge  is  made  at  the  baths  for  the  loan  of  bathing 
costumes  or  caps,  soap,  etc.  A  special  rate  is  often  made  for 
school  children  and  clubs.  The  following  are  the  forms  of  appli- 
cation for  these  rates  in  use  at  the  Westminster  baths: 

Application  for  Special  Ticket  Book. 
Club. 

Questions.  Answers  to  be  given  by  Secretary  of  Club. 

Name  of  Club 

Headquarters  

Number  of  members  

Name  and  address  of 

Secretary  

Entrance  fee  and  sub- 
scription   

First  or  second  class 

The  club  must  provide  a  rubber  or  some 
suitable  stamp,  and  stamp  across  on  the  face  of  each  ticket  the  name 
of  the  club,  and  the  secretary  must  sign  his  name  below  such  stamp 
mark. 

Attendance  by  arrangement  with  superin- 
tendent.   No  allowance  made  for  unused  tickets. 

Club  tickets  are  not  transferable,  and  will 
not  be  available  for  use  unless  the  foregoing  rules  are  complied 
with. 

Signature  of  Secretary 

(Signed)  CHARLES  NEWMAN, 

Superintendent. 

School. 

Questions.                               Answers  to  be  given  by  Head  Master. 
Name  of  school   


Where  situated 


From   Mit)unl>,ility  .,iiJ  C'liiity,  liiil)\ih<,X.   I  . 

Laundry  hung  up  to  dry  in  the  house  of  a  family  living  in  one  room.  The 
Gilder  Committee  of  1894  state  that  out  of  255.033  people  coming  within  the 
scope  of  their  inquiry,  only  306  had  access  to  bath-rooms  in  houses  where  they 
lived. 


J-)c.>     \,iii:...t'.ui!\  ,1)1,1  Ccuiity.  PiiJi\iL\  X.  1". 

The  household  effects  of  a  family  living  in  one  room.  A  Public  Laundry 
would  remove  the  congestion,  by  enabling  the  family  in  question  to  do  the  laun- 
dry work  outside  of  the  so-called  home. 


THE    ADMINISTRATION    OF    FOREIGN    HATIIH.  l.i.'} 

Name  of  Head  Master  or 

Mistress   

Numl)cr  of  books  rc(|uirc(l   

First  or  second  class   

The  Head  Master  or  Head  Mistress  must  provide  a  rubber  or 
some  stamp  and  stamp  across  the  face  of  each  ticket  the  name  of 
the  school  and  sign  his  or  her  name  below  such  stamp  mark. 

Attendance  by  arrangement  with  superintendent.  No  allow- 
ance made  for  unused  tickets. 

Boys  must  be  in  charge  of  a  Master  and  under  proper  control. 

Tickets  will  not  be  available  for  use  unless  the  foregoing  rules 
are  complied  with. 

Signature  of  Head  Master 

(Signed)  WARRINGTON  ROGERS,  Clerk, 

CHARLES  NEWMAN,  Superintendent. 

Careful  accounts  are  kept,  and  well  tabu- 
lated, so  that  each  year's  report  gives  very  full  information  as  to  the 
number  using  the  baths,  receipts  and  expenses. 

German  baths,  though  efificiently  con- 
trolled by  the  municipality,  are  often,  as  at  Hamburg,  managed  by 
a  private  society,  which  is  allowed  only  a  fixed  rate  of  interest,  any 
surplus  going  to  the  benefit  of  the  city.  Where,  as  at  Berlin  and 
Chemnitz,  the  city  operates  its  own  baths,  they  are  under  the  man- 
agement of  a  committee  of  the  city  council. 

At  Gothenburg  the  river  baths  are  man- 
aged by  the  city  financial  board,  the  two  other  bathing  establish- 
ments by  special  committees  under  the  city's  control. 


Mangling. 


Steam 
Wringer. 


CHAPTER  X. 

PUBLIC    LAUNDRIES. 

The  Baths  Commissioners  are  also  the 
authority  for  the  public  washhouse,  usually  built  in  connection 
with  the  baths  themselves,  though  sometimes,  as  in  Liverpool,  it 
may  occupy  a  separate  building. 

One  of  the  newest  and  best  appointed 
washhouses  in  London  is  that  at  the  Hornsey  Road,  Islington, 
baths.  Every  effort  is  made  here  to  discourage  the  professional 
washerwoman,  the  charge  being  one  penny  the  first  hour,  three 
halfpence  the  second,  and  2d.  every  succeeding  hour.  If  mangling 
only  is  done,  a  charge  of  6d.  an  hour  is  made,  the  high  rate  being 
to  prevent  the  underselling  of  the  poorer  women  whoj  eke  out  a 
living  by  taking  in  mangling.  The  dirty  linen  is  usually  brought 
in  perambulators  or  rolled  up  in  large  bundles.  Each  woman  re- 
ceives from  the  lady  clerk  a  ticket,  on  which  her  name  and  the  time 
of  starting  are  set  down.  This  ticket  is  handed  by  the  visitor  to  one 
of  the  female  attendants  within  the  laundry,  who  in  her  turn  fastens 
it  upon  one  of  the  drying  horses,  the  number  on  which  corresponds 
with  the  number  on  the  washing-tub  the  woman  is  entitled  to  use. 
There  are  fifty  washing  tubs,  so  that  number  of  people  can  carry  on 
their  work  at  the  same  time.  The  whole  accommodation  is  often 
taken  up,  and  sometimes  as  many  as  thirty  women  are  waiting  out- 
side for  vacancies,  a  circumstance  which  would  seem  sufficient  to 
justify  the  Commissioners  in  their  scheme  for  extending 
the  laundry.  At  the  tub  the  washer  is  supplied  with  foot- 
board, pail,  copper  stick,  washing  board,  and  has  three  taps 
under  her  command  for  the  supply  of  hot  and  cold  water 
and  steam.  From  the  tub  the  washer  takes  her  linen  to 
the  steam  wringer,  which,  making  about  800  revolutions  to 
the  minute,  draws  out  the  water  in  a  remarkably  short 
space  of  time.  After  a  few  minutes  in  the  wringer  the  clothes  are 
then  removed  to  the  drying  horse,  heated  by  steam  pipes  from  be- 
low, and  from  the  drying  horse  they  are  carried  to  an  adjoining 
room,  where  the  mangling  and  ironing  complete  the  work.  The 
English  mangle  is  a  machine  similar  to  the  hand  wringer,  but  used 
for  pressing  clothes  after  drying.  The  rollers  are  most  commonly 
of  wood,  and  the  machine  is  turned  by  hand,  or,  in  these  large 
laundries,  by  steam.     The  polish  given  to  the  clothes  saves  the 


PUHLIC     LAUNDRIES.  135 

necessity  of  ironing  sheets,  pillow  slips,  towels,  or,  indeed,  any 
linen  that  is  not  shirred  or  pleated.  When  the  work  is  finished  the 
woman  takes  her  ticket  to  the  lady  clerk  at  the  door,  who  makes  up 
the  time  and  charges  the  required  amount.  I'esides  the  public 
laundry  Hornsey  Road  has  an  establishment  laundry  in  the  base- 
ment, and  here  sometimes  5,000  towels  are  washed  in  a  single  day. 

The  Frederick  Street  baths  and  washhouse, 
opened  in  1842  in  Liverpool,  was  the  first  establishment  of  the 
kind  in  Great  Britain.  When  reconstructed  in  1854  it  was  made  a 
washhouse  only,  other  baths  having  been  provided.  Three  other 
baths  in  Liverpool  contain  washhouse  accommodation.  At  the 
Lodge  Lane  washhouse  great  improvements  were  made  in  1894-5 
in  the  drying  apparatus.  Formerly  the  clothing  was  put  into  six 
chambers,  each  sub-divided  so  as  to  give  a  certain  amount  of  space 
to  each  washer,  and  left  to  bake  dry  in  a  temperature  of  180  de- 
grees for  two  hours.  The  new  system  is  drying  by  hot  air  in 
motion,  so  that  a  natural  drying  is  obtained  and  the  clothing  is  in  cyatem 
no  way  damaged.  The  chambers  are  now  arranged  so  that  each 
person's  clothing  is  under  lock  and  key,  thus  obviating  the  thefts 
so  common  under  the  old  system.  It  is  probably  owing  to  these 
alterations  that  the  washhouse  lost  a  great  deal  of  its  custom,  many 
of  the  regular  washers  having  bought  their  own  washing  requisites 
and  not  being  then  willing  to  go  back.  The  decrease  in  the  Bur- 
roughs Garden  establishment  was  attributed  to  the  demolition  of 
unsanitary  property  in  the  neighborhood,  and  the  consequent  re- 
moval of  many  of  the  washers. 

Edinburgh  washhouse  authorities,  having 
regard  to  the  fact  that  a  mother  cannot  leave  young  children  at 
home  alone,  and  often  has  no  one  to  look  after  them  while  she 
comes  to  the  public  washhouse,  graciously  permit  each  washer  to 
bring  two  children,  but  on  the  condition  that  they  shall  not  be 
allowed  access  to  the  engine  room.  Usually  no  children  are  al- 
lowed. Edinburgh  also  permits  to  its  washers  the  use  of  private 
hot  and  cold  baths,  with  showers,  on  production  of  the  deposit 
ticket,  at  the  rate  of  2d.  an  hour  or  part  of  an  hour.  Washers  have 
to  deposit  one  shilling  on  entering,  and  must  leave  the  stall  and  ap- 
pliances used  by  them  clean  and  ready  for  immediate  use. 

The  prices  do  not  vary  much  and  are  gen- 
erally less  for  the  first  two  than  for  subsequent  hours,  as  it  is     Prices. 
reckoned  that  most  of  the  women  will  get  through  their  private 
washing  in  that  time.    In  spite  of  this,  the  average  time  worked  is 
three  and  one-half  hours  at  St.  James,  Westminster,  baths.    The 


136  MAYOR'S    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 

scale  of  charges  at  St.  Margaret  and  St.  John,  Westminster,  is  as 
follows: 

PUBLIC  BATHS  AND  WASHHOUSES. 

SCALE  OF  CHARGES. 

LAUNDRY  AND  WASHHOUSE  DEPARTMENT. 


s.  d. 

1  hour   0  iy2 

2  hours    0  3 

2%  hours    0  4 

3  hours    0  41/0 

3I/0  hours    0  6 

4  hours    0  7 

4%  hours   0  8 

5  hours    0  9 


s.  d. 

7      hours  1  1 

71/3  hours  1  2 

S      hours  1  3 

S%  hours  1  4 

9      hours  1  5 

9y2  hours  1  6 

10      hours  1  7 

lOVa  hours  1  8 


51^  hours    0  10     I    11      hours    1     9 

6      hours    0  11      i    IIV2  hours    1  10 

6%  hours    1     0     j    12      hours    1  11 

N.  B. — Persons  exceeding  any  of  the  above  periods  more  than 
five  minutes  will  be  charged  the  full  hour  or  half-hour  as  the  case 
case  may  be. 

At  the  Liverpool  washhouses  the  charges 
for  washing  and  drying  (including  use  of  dolly  tub  and  maiden)  are : 
One  hour  only,  one  penny  per  hour;  if  for  two  or  more  hours  to- 
gether in  one  day,  then  for  every  hour,  including  the  first,  three 
half-pence  per  hour. 

Following  are  the  rules  at  the  West- 
minster washhouse.  It  will  be  noticed  that  it  has  been  found 
necessary  to  exact  3d.  caution  money  before  allowing  a  washer  to 
enter,  a  sufficient  evidence  that  the  washhouse  is  used  by  a  poor 
class  of  people. 

Rules  and  Regulations  for  Washers. 
Which  Will  Be  Strictly  Enforced. 

1.  The  washhouses  are  open  from  8  a.  m.  to  8  p.  m.  (Sun- 
days and  bank  holidays  excepted),  and  all  washers  are  requested 
to  leave  the  building  in  a  proper  and  orderly  manner  immediately 
at  the  hour  of  closing. 

2.  The  charges  for  the  use  of  separate  washing  compartment, 
steam  drying  horse,  mangle,  tables  and  irons,  are  as  under: 

One  hour,  i^d.  Three  hours,  4^d. 

Two  hours,  3d.  Three  and  a  half  hours,  6d. 

Two  and  a  half  hours,  4d. 

And  for  every  succeeding  half-hour,  id.,  and  should  the  hour  or 

half-hour  be  exceeded  by  more  than  five  minutes,  it  will  be  counted 

for  as  a  half-hour. 


imji'.lk;    laundkieh. 


l."{7 


3.  Every  washer  before  entering  the  washhouse  shall  procure 
admission  tickets  at  the  pay  office,  her  name  and  time  of  entrance 
will  be  written  thereon  by  the  money-taker;  one  of  such  tickets 
must  be  handed  to  the  attendant,  who  will  admit  the  bearer  in  the 
order  of  entrance  to  an  unoccupied  compartment.  The  other  ticket 
the  washer  must  retain  for  production  to  the  money-taker  upon 
leaving,  in  order  that  tiic  proper  charge  may  be  made. 

4.  See  that  the  correct  time  is  put  on  your  ticket  at  the  time  of 
entrance,  as  no  alteration  can  afterwards  be  made. 

5.  Your  ticket  must  not  be  placed  upon  the  drying  horse  until 
your  clothes  are  ready  to  be  dried,  and  nmst  not  remain  on  the 
horse  after  the  clothes  are  dry. 

6.  One  drying  horse  only  is  allowed  to  the  use  of  each  washer, 
and  if  it  is  found  that  a  drying  horse  is  being  used  without  having 
previously  obtained  a  ticket  for  same,  or  that  a  washer  is  using 
another's  ticket,  the  clothes  of  the  person  so  using  the  same  will 
be  removed  from  the  drying  horse  and  detained  until  another 
ticket  has  been  obtained  from  the  pay  office. 

7.  The  time  occupied  from  entering  until  leaving,  will  have 
to  be  strictly  paid  for;  washers  should,  therefore,  be  careful  to  make 
the  best  use  of  their  time. 

8.  Washers,  upon  the  completion  of  their  work,  must  take 
their  tickets  to  the  attendant,  who  will  enter  upon  the  ticket  the 
time  occupied  by  the  washers;  the  money-taker  will  then  make 
the  charge  and  receive  payment,  without  wiiich  the  clothes  will  be 
detained. 

9.  Starch  is  only  to  be  made  and  used  in  the  washhouse,  where 
tables,  etc.,  are  provided  for  the  purpose. 

10.  Washers  must  not  unnecessarily  slop  the  floors,  or  waste 
the  water  or  steam.  No  wet  clothes  must' be  placed  in  the  mangles. 
Washers  must  use  the  greatest  caution  in  the  use  of  the  mangles 
and  hydros,  the  engineer  or  the  attendant  will  advise  when  nec- 
essary. 

11.  No  food,  bonnets,  shawls,  etc.,  are  to  be  placed  upon  the 
tables;  pegs  and  shelves  are  provided  for  the  purpose. 

12.  No 'washer  is  allowed  to  bring  clothes  into  the  building  in 
a  state  of  vermin,  or  those  that  have  been  used  by  persons  suffering 
from  infectious  or  contagious  diseases,  unless  and  until  such 
articles  have  been  disinfected  and  purified,  to  the  satisfaction  of  the 
sanitary  authorities. 

13.  Soap  and  soda  may  be  obtained  from  the  attendant  at  fixed 
prices. 


Tickets. 


Drying 
Horse. 


Food, 

Bonnets, 

Shawls. 


138  MAYOR'S    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 

14.  No  indecent,  insulting  or  offensive  language  is  allowed  to 
be  used,  and  any  washer  who  shall  wilfully  obstruct  or  interfere 
with  another,  or  who,  by  her  actions,  is  likely  to  create  a  disturb- 
ance, will  be  immediately  expelled,  and  will  be  refused  admittance 
in  the  future. 

15.  No  children  will  be  admitted. 

16.  Washers  must  not  offer  gifts  or  money  to  the  attendants, 
the  receipt  of  which  subjects  them  to  dismissal. 

17.  A\'ater-closets  are  in  the  building. 

18.  Washers  are,  for  their  own  comfort,  requested  to  see  that 
these  rules  and  regulations  are  strictly  carried  out,  but  if,  upon  re- 
port, it  is  found  that  any  washer  refuses,  or  has  refused  to  do  so,  she 
will  not  bcagain  admitted  to  the  building. 

By  Order  of  the  Commissioners. 

Washers  are  strictly  forbidden  to  bring  spirituous  or  malt 
liquors  into  the  building. 

Washers  must  deposit  3d.  with  the  money-taker  previous  to 
entering  the  washhouse. 

Washhouse  Department  Notice. 
You  are  not  allowed  the  use  of  the  mangle  for  more  than  one 
hour  at  a  time. 

You  are  not  allowed  to  mangle  and  iron  at  one  time. 
You  must  finish  in  the  washhouse  before  you  begin  to  mangle 
and  iron,  and  if  you  are  found  to  be  having  the  use  of  both  depart- 
ments at  one  time,  or  that  you  are  using  the  ticket  of  another  per- 
son, you  will  be  charged  accordingly,  and,  in  default  of  payment, 
your  clothes  will  be  retained  until  payment  is  made  for  the  time 
so  occupied. 

If  you  lose  your  ticket  you  are  liable  to  be  charged  from  the 
time  the  washhouse  is  opened,  viz,  8  a.  m. 

By  Order, 

(Signed)  C.NEWMAN, 

Superintendent. 

Liverpool's  regulations  for  its  washhouses 
wall  serve  as  an  example  of  provincial  requirements.  The  caution 
money  here  is  greater,  6d. 

1.  Each  person  taking  a  ticket  thereby  engages  to  perform  and 
abide  by  all  the  following  regulations,  and  is  admitted  only  on  such 
conditions. 

2.  The  charge  for  each  compartment  and  the  conveniences  for 
drying  shall  be 'one  penny  per  hour;  if  for  more  than  one  hour,  or 


One 


part  of  an  hour,  tof:jttlicr  in  one  day,  then  for  every  honr  or  part  of 

an  hour,  inclu<Hn{^^  the  first,  i^d.  per  hour.  Penny. 

3.  Each  person  shall,  on  entering,  make  a  deposit  of  6d.  and 
obtain  a  ticket  stalinjj^  the  hour,  and  shall  show  the  same  to  the 
washhouse  attendant,  who  will  point  out  the  compartment  to  be 
used.  On  leaving  each  person  shall  apply  to  the  attendant,  who 
will  state  on  the  ticket  the  time  the  compartment  has  been  occupied. 
His  statement  is  conclusive. 

4.  Every  person  using  a  compartment  for  more  than  four 
hours  must,  on  the  expiration  of  the  fourth  hour,  immediately 
obtain  a  new  ticket.  If  two  persons  jointly  wish  to  use  the  same 
compartment,  each  must  obtain  a  ticket. 

5.  The  money  due  for  use  and  occupation  of  the  compartment 
and  conveniences,  after  deducting  the  deposit,  shall  be  paid  to  the 
money-taker  by  each  person  before  leaving. 

6.  The  superintendent,  washhouse  attendant,  or  money-taker, 
or  either  of  them  may,  on  non-payment,  detain  all  or  such  part  of  the 
clothes  brought  to  be  washed  as  they,  or  either  of  them,  may  think 
fit,  and  sell  the  same,  and  with  the  proceeds  defray  the  charges  for 
washing  and  expenses  of  sale,  returning  the  surplus,  if  any,  to  the 
owner  of  the  goods  on  demand. 

7.  Any  person  wilfully  or  negligently  damaging  the  premises 
or  any  article  thereon,  shall  be  liable  to  be  turned  out,  and  shall 
be  answerable  for  all  such  damage. 

8.  All  clothes,  etc.,  which  may  be  left  shall  be  delivered  to  the 
superintendent  or  washhouse  attendant,  who  shall  cause  the  same  to 
be  registered  in  a  book  for  that  purpose. 

9.  Any  person  bringing  infected  clothes  into  the  washhouse 

will  be  prosecuted.  Infected 

10.  No  wet  clothes  will  be  permitted  to  be  brought  into  the      Clothes. 
washhouse. 

11.  Every  person  is  requested  to  be  careful  not  to  waste  the 
water  or  steam,  nor  slop  the  floors. 

12.  Any  person  requiring  assistance  will  receive  it  by  calling 
out  the  number  of  her  compartment. 

13.  No  gratuities  to  be  received  by  the  superintendent,  as- 
sistant or  money-taker  on  pain  of  dismissal. 

14.  No  children  admitted. 

15.  Smoking  in  the  establishment  strictly  forbidden. 

16.  The  Corporation  will  not  be  responsible  for  any  loss  or 
damage  caused  by  fires,  etc.,  or  for  articles  stolen. 

17.  The  washhouse  is  open  from  8  a.  m.  to  6  p.  m.  on  Mon- 
day, Tuesday,  Wednesday,  Thursday  and  Friday. 


140 


MAYOR'S    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 


i8.  No  ticket  issued  after  5  p.  m.  No  person  allowed  to  con- 
tinue washing  after  6  p.  m. 

19.  The  washhouse  is  closed  on  Christmas  Day,  Good  Friday, 
and  on  Bank  Holidays. 

20.  Every  person  committing"  a  nuisance,  using  profane  lan- 
guage, interrupting  the  comfort  of  another,  being  intoxicated,  or 
bringing  into  or  causing  to  be  brought  into  the  washhouse  any 
beer  or  liquor,  or  guilty  of  a  breach  of  these  regulations,  or  other 
misconduct,  shall  be  liable  to  be  turned  out. 

By  Order, 

(Signed)    W.  R.  COURT, 
Engineer  and  Chief  Superintendent. 
The  money-taker  not  only  has  to  keep  strict  account  of  the 
number  of  hours  each  washer  has  worked,  but  also  of  the  soap  and 
soda  sold  to  her. 

Laundry  Deparimeyii. 
Money-Taker's  Daily  Account. 


No.  of  last  ticket  issued  to-day  . . . 
No.  of  last  ticket  issued  yesterday 


Total  No.  issued 


No.  of  washers  .  . 
No.  of  hours  .  .  . . 
No.  of  half  hours 


Lbs. 


Soap 
.Soda 


Goods 


s.  d. 


Gold   .. 

Silver   . 
Copper 


Total 


Total 


Date 


Money-Taker. 

N.  B. — This  form  must  be  accurately  filled  up  by  money-taker 
at  the  end  of  each  day,  and  must  correspond,  in  every  particular, 
with  the  money-taker's  daily  account  book. 


Mangling  Room,  Hornsey  Road  Laundry  (London).  Charge  for  use  of 
the  laundry,  first  hour,  2c.;  second  hour.  3c.:  each  succeeding  hour,  4c.  30,420 
women  used  the  laundry  for  the  year  ending  March  3lst.  1896. 


Drying  Room.  Hornsey  Road  Public  Laundry  (London).  It  is  calculated  that 
■one  hour  will  suffice  for  the  laundry  work  of  a  family  of  five  people.  New  York 
has  no  public  laundries. 


I'VniAC     liAlINDKIIOS.  141 

The  miiiibcr  of  washers  using  the  |)iiblic 
washhouscs  at  Liverpool  for  the  years  1894-5,  was: 

Stoblo  Stro(!t 44,402  4(;,lfM 

L<)(lK<>  1^)1  nc 27,H49*  .'',.'{,()r»7 

KuiToiiKh.s  (JardoiiH rj4,731  <{1,4I>7 

Frederick  Street   1(J,.'WJ  15,117 


Totals iry.i.i'.Tj.        ir>«,:}7r> 

*  Owing  to  jilterutloiiH  tlilH  was  open  for  four  and  one-half  weeks  only. 
Here  is  a  sample  of  the  tickets  in  use  at  the 
Westminster  Baths. 

(In  books  of  1000.) 

No 

Name   

No.  washing  compartment 

Began  at  o'clock. 

Left  off  at  o'clock. 

s.  d. 

....  Hours  occupied    

Received  by 

Working  women  and  wives  of  working 
men  generally  shun  anything  like  publicity  with  regard  to  their  do- 
mestic arrangements,  and  at  first  are  reluctant  to  resort  to  public 
washhouses.  But  the  conveniences  and  benefits  soon  become  so  ^,^  . 
apparent  that  the  natural  distrust  gives  way.  To  the  women  whose  Disorder. 
families  occupy  one,  two  or  three  small  rooms  in  a  tenement  house 
these  opportunities  of  doing  the  washing  aw^ay  from  home,  and 
thus  preventing  dirt  and  disorder  in  the  house,  come  like  blessings. 
The  fact  alone  of  the  municipal  laundry  having  overcome  so  com- 
pletely the  women's  natural  objections  to  mix  among  others  in 
their  domestic  duties  is  an  eloquent  testimony  of  its  usefulness 
and  superiority.  The  advantages  of  cheap,  comfortable  and  con- 
venient washing  are  not  the  only  benefits  of  municipal  washhouses ; 
a  broader  and  kinder  feeling  springs  up  between  the  women  by  the 
occasional  contact.  They  learn  from  each  other;  they  give  and 
take;  they  assist  each  other  in  many  ways.  The  public  washhouse 
might  be  said  to  be  the  beginning  of  communal  life  in  strictly 
household  matters.  Just  as  much  of  the  washing  of  working  people 
is  better  done  in  a  central,  well-equipped  building,  supported  con- 
jointly by  the  people  through  the  rates,  instead  of  each  separate  little 
home  being  thrown  into  commotion  by  soap-suds  and  wet  linen,  so 
might  other  domestic  arrangements,  especially  cooking,  be  placed 
upon  a  communal  basis. 


Drinks 

with 

Meals. 


News- 
papers. 


CHAPTER  XL 

PUBLIC   COMFORT   STATIONS. 

One  of  the  first  surprises,  and  a  very  dis- 
agreeable one,  of  the  man  who  has  spent  all  his  life  in  foreign  cities, 
on  coming  to  New  York,  is  the  entire  absence  of  those  conveni- 
ences he  meets  with  at  home  ever>'  five  or  six  blocks.  He  has  not 
been  accustomed  to  rely  on  saloons,  for  he  is  most  likely  in  the 
habit  of  taking  what  he  cares  to  drink  with  his  meals.  Lately  the 
closing  of  saloons  on  Sunday  has  made  the  question  a  very  im- 
portant one  in  this  city.  The  provision  of  public  comfort  stations 
may  lead  to  the  discouraging  of  the  glass,  taken  often  when  not 
greatly  desired,  to  recompense  the  saloon  keeper.  So  far  back  as 
1866  the  need  was  realized.  The  Citizens'  Association  of  New 
York  organized  a  committee  for  sanitary  inquiry,  consisting  of  such 
well-known  men  as  Hamilton  Fish,  John  David  Wolfe,  Edward 
S.  Jaffray,  John  Jacob  Astor,  August  Belmont,  and  others,  to  in- 
quire principally  as  to  the  high  deathrate  at  that  time.  The  doctors 
who  reported  to  them  as  to  the  measures  to  be  taken  to  remedy 
this,  called  attention  to  the  necessity  of  public  comfort  stations, 
and  said,  "This  scandalous  want  is  regarded  with  concern  by 
medical  advisers;  but  considered  simply  as  a  cause  of  indecency 
and  a  public  nuisance  it  should  be  obviated  by  suitable  municipal 
care  and  provision,  or  by  private  enterprise,  in  preparing  needed 
plans  and  structures."  One  of  the  Sanitary  Inspectors  employed 
at  this  time  said:  "Public  urinals  are  also  necessary  in  large  cities. 
As  constructed  in  Paris  they  disfigure  the  public  thoroughfares  and 
offend  public  decency;  but  such  places  might  be  built  in  the  rear 
of  small  stores,  thus  removing  every  objectionable  appearance." 

In  the  same  year  the  engineer  of  the  Met- 
ropolitan Board  of  Health  reported:  "There  has  been  considerable 
discussion  as  to  the  propriety  of  erecting,  in  different  parts  of  the 
cities  of  this  district,  public  urinals  and  water-closets.  Of  this 
necessity  there  is  no  doubt:  the  question  is,  where  they  shall  be 
located  and  how  they  shall  be  constructed.  Buildings  could  be 
erected  in  the  few  public  squares  with  these  conveniences,  and  of 
sufficient  extent  to  afford  some  shelter  in  cases  of  sudden  rain, 
with  small  withdrawing  rooms  for  men  and  women,  which  should 
be  under  the  charge  of  a  keeper  who  might  be  paid  sufficiently  by 
the  profits  on  the  sale  of  newspapers." 


PUBLKJ    COMi'Olt'l"    S'i'A'lIONS.  H.'i 

An  act  was  passed  by  the  New  York  Leg- 
islature April  23,  1867,  authorizing  the  Croton  Aqueduct  Depart- 
ment "to  locate,  erect,  and  establish  public  urinals  within  the 
boundaries  of  any  street,  avenue,  public  place  or  thoroughfare  in 
said  city,  as  it  may  from  time  to  time  deem  advisable,  and  connect 
the  same  by  dr;;iins  or  suitable  pipes  with  any  adjacent  sewer."  The 
department  was  also  to  provide  for  the  maintenance  and  cleanli- 
ness of  these  places.  A  penalty  of  $50,  or  three  months'  imprison- 
ment, was  laid  down  for  any  one  convicted  of  defacing  or  defiling 
the  constructions,  the  money  to  help  pay  the  debt  incurred  in  the 
erection  of  Croton  Aqueduct. 

In  1868  drawings  were  made  for  two  pub- 
lic comfort  stations,  one  -at  Astor  Place,  and  the  other  at  the  corner 

Astor 
of  Broadway  and  Park  Row,  but  as  the  appropriation  was  insuffi-      pjacg 

cient  for  both,  only  the  first  was  proceeded  with.  This  con- 
venience for  both  men  and  women  was  opened  for  use  in  May, 
1869.  From  its  first  opening  it  showed  the  imperious  necessity  for 
some  such  provision.  In  June  986  men  visited  it  during  the  thir- 
teen hours  it  was  open  on  a  single  day.  In  August  the  men's  divis- 
ion was  enlarged  by  moving  the  partition  toward  the  women's  part, 
but  without  reducing  the  closet  accommodation  of  the  latter.  With 
this  enlargement  the  male  frequenters  continued  to  increase,  so 
that  at  least  300,000  made  use  of  the  convenience  up  to  the  close  of 
1869.  The  greatest  number  of  women  using  their  division  was 
twenty-five  in  a  single  day.  The  engineer  of  the  Metropolitan 
Board  of  Health  reported :  "Of  the  necessities  of  such  edifices  both 
for  men  and  women  there  can  be  no  doubt,  and  of  the  appropriate- 
ness of  this  locality  for  one.  But,  as  one  where  there  should  be 
many,  it  undertakes  the  relief  of  too  large  a  population  and  district, 
and  is  too  small.  The  attempt  to  keep  the  men's  division  clean  by 
the  once-a-day  supervision  of  a  woman,  and  by  structural  means 
guard  against  misuse,  and  the  closing  of  the  building  evenings, 
have  been  mistakes.  In  the  opinion  of  your  Engineer,  it  has  been 
clearly  proved,  by  the  experience  of  the  urinals  in  Astor  Place  and 
City  Hall  Park,  that  these  indispensable  structures  should  have 
some  competent  person  in  charge  while  they  are  in  use,  as  at  our 
frequented  hotels;  that  these  accommodations  should  be  of  the 
best  character,  tending  rather  to  bring  up  the  sense  of  decency  in 
the  users  than  degrade  it.  In  an  educational  point  of  view  well- 
kept  public  urinals  may  serve  as  powerful  assistants  to  the  Board 
of  Health,  as  examples  of  what  can  be  done  to  render  such  struct- 
ures comfortable  and  inoffensive;  thev  vdW  introduce  among  our 


144  MAYOR'S    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 

lowest  classes  habits  of  cleanliness  and  self-respect,  that  will  im- 
prove the  condition  of  our  tenement  houses." 

In  1870  the  convenience  in  Astor  Place 
was  remodeled  and  placed  under  the  care  of  a  keeper.    The  De- 
partment of  Parks  during  the  year  erected  urinals  in  the  city  parks. 
The  Board  of  Health  thought  that  the  health  and  comfort  of  the 
City  public  demanded  that  the  number  should  be  largely  increased,  that 

Parks.  they  should  be  erected  in  all  parts  of  the  city,  and  be  constructed 
for  the  accommodation  of  women  and  children  as  well  as  men. 
They  believed  there  was  no  doubt  as  to  the  propriety  of  erecting 
water-closets  and  urinals  and  the  only  question  was,  where,  and  in 
what  manner  they  should  be  erected  and  constructed.  It  was  sug- 
gested that  there  was  a  special  need  for  these  conveniences  along 
the  river  fronts,  and  that  the  matter  should  be  laid  before  the  De- 
partment of  Docks. 

In  1872  the  convenience  at  Astor  Place 
was  transferred  to  the  care  of  the  Department  of  Public  Works. 
Subsequently  it  was  found  to  occupy  too  public  a  place;  it  fell  into 
disuse  and  was  removed. 

In  1882  an  act  was  passed  which  consoli- 
dated into  one  act  the  special  and  local  laws  affecting  New  York 
City;  Section  347  of  this  act  repeated  the  main  part  of  the  act  of 
1867  previously  mentioned,  but  the  powers  there  bestowed  on  the 
Croton  Aqueduct  Department  were  transferred  to  the  Commis- 
sioner of  Public  Works. 

In  1894  the  City  Vigilance  League  drew 
up  the  following  petition,  which  was  extensively  signed: 

"  To  the  Legislature  a7id  Governor  0/  the  State  0/ New  Fork. 
"We,  the  undersigned,  residents  and  citizens  of  the  State  and 
City  of  New  York,  in  view  of  the  fact  that  this  city  is  almost  entirely 
without  public  water-closets  and  lavatories,  and  that  this  state  of 
affairs  is  a  menace  to  public  health,  as  well  as  an  offense  to  delicacy 
and  modesty,  and  that  we  regard  a  sufficiency  of  these  as  absolutely 
necessary,  do  hereby  petition  the  State  authorities  to  grant  power 
to  the  government  of  the  City  of  New  York: 

"To  construct  public  water-closets  and  urinals  in  all  the  squares 
and  parks,  and  in  the  tenement  house  districts  at  every  fourth 
street." 

A  bill  was  introduced  in  the  State  Legis- 
lature in  1895  making  it  mandatory  on  every  city  or  incorporated 
village  with  four  thousand  or  more  inhabitants  to  erect  in  con- 


PUBLIO    COMFORT    STATIONS.  145 

vcnient  public  places  suitable  structures,  each  containing  not  less 
than  two  public  urinals  and  one  public  closet,  so  that  there  should 
be  in  each  city  two  such  structures  for  each  thirty  thousand  inhab- 
itants thereof,  and  in  each  such  village  two  such  structures,  and  the 
number  of  structures  for  men  and  women  were  to  be  equal.  The 
local  board  of  health  was  to  take  charge  of  these  conveniences, 
which  were  to  be  free,  and  maintained  at  the  expense  of  the  city 
or  village.    This  bill  failed  to  pass. 

With  the  exception  of  the  provisions  made 
by  the  Department  of  Public  Parks,  there  are  no  water-closets  or 
urinals  provided  by  the  city.  What  are  the  accommodations  in  the 
parks  at  present?  In  response  to  this  inquiry,  the  Secretary  of  the 
Department  sent  the  following  communication: 


Bill  for 
Men  and 
Women. 


City  of  New  York, 
Department  of  Public  Parks, 
49  and  51  Chambers  Street. 

January  21,  1895. 
W.  H.  Tolman,  Esq., 

Secretary,  etc.. 
Dear  Sir: — I  beg  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  your  communi- 
cation of  the  i6th  inst.,  and  in  reply  thereto,  I  submit  herewith  a 
list  of  the  public  urinals  and  water  closets  provided  by  the  city  in 
the  parks: 


Men's 
Cottages. 

Women's 
Cottages. 

Urinals. 

Central  Park   

11 

1 
7 
2 

I 

1 
3 

1 

2 

Riverside  Park   

Mt.  Morris  Park  

City  Parks   

16 

East  River  Parlv  

Totals 

21 

15 

18 

The  cottages  specified  above  afiford  accommodations  to  from 
four  to  eight  persons,  the  urinals  from  two  to  eight  persons.  In 
the  new  parks  north  of  the  Harlem  River,  the  only  accommoda- 
tions of  the  nature  referred  to  are  in  the  buildings  on  the  parks, 
no  cottages  or  urinals  having  been  especially  erected  for  the  pur- 
pose. Should  you  desire  a  list  of  the  buildings  in  the  new  parks 
open  for  this  purpose,  the  same  will  be  furnished  with  pleasure. 

VePk-  respectfully. 

(Signed)  CHARLES  DeF.  BURXS. 

Secretan-.  D.  P.  P. 


146  MAYOR'S    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 

There  was  no  improvement  in  these  con- 
ditions during  the  sixteen  months  following,  as  will  be  seen  by  a 
letter  of  more  recent  date : 

City  of  New  York, 

Department  of  Public  Parks, 

The  Arsenal,  Central  Park, 

May  2,  1896. 
Air.  \\'illiam  H.  Tolman, 

Secretary,  Mayor's  Committee,  Public  Baths,  etc., 
105  East  Twenty-second  Street,  New  York  City, 
Dear  Sir: — Replying  to  the  inquiry  contained  in  your  favor  of 
the  1st  inst.,  I  beg  to  advise  you  that  the  conditions  of  January  21, 
1895,  with  regard  to  park  urinals  and  accommodations  are  prac- 
tically unchanged  at  this  date. 

Very  respectfully, 

(Signed)  WILLIAM  LEARY, 

Secretary. 

Accompanying  this  letter  we  submit  a  summary  of  the  city 
parks  and  their  area  in  acres: 

City  Parks.  Area  in  Acres. 

Abingdon  Square 202 

BatteiT    21.190 

Beach  Street 038 

Bowling  Green   .517 

Bryant  4.775 

Boston  Road,  164tli  Street 060 

Boston  Road,  169th  Street 160 

Central    839.921 

Canal  Street 318 

Christopher  Street 139 

City  Hall 8.239 

Cooper  Union .2.39 

Cedar   17.470 

Duane  Street 108 

East  River 12.546 

Five  Points .114 

Fourth  Avenue  5.630 

Fulton  Avenue  and  167th  Street 200 

Fulton  Avenue  and  170th  Street 950 

Grand  Street 630 

High  Bridge 23.380 

Jackson  Square .227 

Jeannette  Park 870 

Manhattan  Square 19.051 

Madison  Square  6.840 

Morningside  31.238 

Mount  Morris  ' 20.174 

Park  Avenue,  34th  Street  to  40th  Street 1.168 

Riverside  Park  and  Drive 177.800 

Rutgers    482 

Stuyvesant  Square 4.229 


I'UBLIG    COMFORT    STATIONS.  147 

City  TjirkH.  Area  In  Acrea. 

Union  W(|UJin' 'AAKi 

WiiHliiiiKton  S(iuare 8.115 

CorlcJUH  I  look H.'.'.nn 

St.  John 1.7(X» 

Tompkins  Square 10.r>0S 

TRIANCI^ES. 

Boulevard  and  (Jlid  Street .''A  I 

Boulevard  and  (i(it  li  Street fX59 

Manhattan  Avenue  and  114th  Street .018 

Sixth  Avenue,  ;'.2d  and  :',r)th  Streets 186 

St.  Nicholas  Avenue,  12;'.d  Street 072 

St.  Nicholas  Avenue,  IMTtii  Street .0.'?8 

St.  Nicholas  Avenue,  150th  Street 240 

SUMMARY. 

Central  Park   8.'}9.921 

Citv  Parks   891.090 

Triangles    967 

Total,  exclusive  of  new  parks 1,231.978 

New  Parks. 

Van  Cortlandt   1,132.85 

Bronx    661.60 

Pelham  Bay  : 1,756. 

Broux  and  Pelham  Parkway 95. 

Mosholu 80. 

Crotona   141.65 

Claremont 88.05 

St.  Mary's 28.70 

Croton  Parkway 12. 

Total,  new  parks  3,945.35 

It  is  clearly  evident  how  inadequate  are 
the  municipal  provisions  for  these  public  conveniences,  particularly 
in  the  tenement-house  districts  where  there  is  a  congested  popu-  public 
lation.  With  such  ridiculously  inadequate  municipal  provision  for  Servants. 
the  public  comfort,  the  case  of  the  public  serv^ants  who  are  letter 
carriers,  street  cleaners,  and  policemen,  is  particularly  distressing, 
inasmuch  as  the  law  forbids  the  last  two  classes  to  enter  a  saloon 
while  on  duty.  There  are  practically  no  public  water-closets  or 
urinals  for  the  pohcemen  and  the  street  sweepers,  and  the  only 
semi-public  conveniences  are  those  of  the  saloons.  That  the  above 
reasons  are  cogent  for  a  system  of  public  comfort  stations,  is  proved 
again  by  these  two  communications. 

Police  Department, 
President's  Office, 
City  of  New  York, 

New  York.  May  15,  1895. 
My  Dear  Sir: — I  am  so  pressed  for  time  that  I  have  not  had 
time  to  examine  your  preliminary  report  as  carefully  as  I  would: 


148 


MAYORS    COMMITTEE    0\    PUBLIC    BATHS. 


Legitimate 
Excuse. 


but  in  its  essentials  I  am  heartily  in  accord  ^vith  it.  You  bring  out 
admirably  the  effect  that  the  present  system  has  in  helping  out  the 
saloons.  One  great  trouble  we  have  in  trying  our  policemen  for 
going  into  saloons  in  uniform  is  that  they  can  now  plead  a  legiti- 
mate excuse  for  the  very  reason  you  emphasize. 

Sincerely  yours, 
(Signed)  THEODORE  ROOSEVELT. 


Commissioner's  Office, 

Police  Department 
of  the  City  of  New  York,  i 

300  Mulberry  Street. 

New  York,  May  21,  1895. 
William  H.  Tolman,  Esq., 

No.  427  West  Fifty-seventh  Street,  New  York. 
My  Dear  Sir: — I  beg  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  yours  of 
the  14th  inst.,  enclosing  a  preliminary  report  of  the  Sub-Com- 
mittee of  Seventy,  upon  Baths  and  Lavatories. 

I  have  not  had  an  opportunity,  on  account  of  a  press  of  work,, 
to  carefully  examine  your  report,  but  I  most  unhesitatingly  and 
heartily  endorse  the  work  in  which  you  are  so  much  interested.  I 
say  this,  not  only  as  a  citizen  of  New  York,  but  more  particularly 
on  account  of  my  connection  with  the  Police  Department.  The 
Source  want  of  public  lavatories  in  ithe  City  of  New  York  is  a  source  of 

of  Injury.  very  great  injury  to  the  ef^ciency  of  the  Police  Department.  Offi- 
cers are  compelled  to  leave  their  posts  of  duty,  and  invariably  pro- 
long their  absence  to  an  undue  extent.  Furthermore,  whenever 
they  are  reported  for  absence  from  post,  the  almost  invariable  ex- 
cuse is  that  of  necessity,  caused  by  an  absence  of  lavatories. 

The  excuse,  although  hackneyed  and  many  times  false,  is  a 
difficult  one  to  disprove.  I  can,  therefore,  briefly  and  most  heartily 
state  that  a  development  of  the  system  which  you  propose,  would 
result  in  the  greatest  good  to  the  Police  Department,  and  conse- 
quently to  the  welfare  of  the  city. 

Wishing  you  every  success  in  the  work  which  you  have  under- 
taken, I  am. 

Yours  very  sincerely, 

(Signed)lA.  D.  ANDREWS, 

Police  Commissioner. 


In  the  early  part  of  February,  1896,  a  bill 
was  introduced  into  both  Senate  and  Assembly  giving  a  monopoly 


(  UNDCnanouND  pubuc 


Co/>yi-!s/i/,  iSor,  /\y  the  Mayor's  Coiiimitte,: 

Proposed  Underground  Public  Comfort  Stations.  Greeley  Square.  It  will 
be  noted  that  the  park  effect  will  not  be  disturbed,  but  at  the  same  time  a  much 
needed  public  convenience  will  be  supplied. 


iMiuLK!  (;()Mia>irr  s'iationk. 


149 


of  public  lavatory  stivicc  to  AJcxaufUr  l)e  Fosscz,  and  those  who 
were  or  might  hereafter  be  associatcfl  with  him.  They  were  author- 
ized to  erect  and  operate  "structures  for  public  lavatcjries  and  urinals 
at  convenient  points  in,  upon  and  alonpf  the  streets,  avenues,  roads, 
parks  and  jjublie  i)laces  in  cities  and  towns  of  the  State  and  to  exhibit 
advertisements  and  signs  thereon."  I'^ive  cents  was  to  be  the  max- 
imum charge  for  lavatory  accommodation,  and  for  this  soap,  towels, 
etc.,  were  to  be  supplied.  The  corporation  proposed  to  pay  over  to 
the  city  i  per  cent,  of  its  grf)ss  receipts  for  the  first  five  years  and 
afterward  2  per  cent.,  the  franchise  and  all  structures  erected  under 
it  reverting  to  the  city  at  the  end  of  thirty  years.  By  subsequent 
amendment,  the  interior  of  the  kiosks  might  be  used  by  the  city  de- 
partments for  telephone,  police,  fire  and  ambulance  calls,  post  offices 
and  express  boxes,  and  such  kiosks  as  were  not  required  by  the  re- 
spective cities  might  be  used  by  the  company  for  the  sale  of  neces- 
sary oT  convenient  articles.  The  limitation  of  the  franchise  to  thirty 
years  was  removed  in  this  amended  bill. 

The  scheme  aroused  much  opposition.  It 
was  objected  that  it  would  mean  the  practical  surrender,  at  a  nom- 
inal rental,  of  the  streets,  avenues,  parks  and  public  places  in  every 
city  and  town  of  the  entire  State  where  the  kiosks  would  be  erected, 
for  advertising  purposes,  to  a  company  that  ought  to  pay  liberally 
for  this  privilege,  if  it  were  ever  considered  wise  to  disfigure  the 
streets  and  parks  in  the  manner  proposed.  Home  rule  was  sub- 
verted to  this  advertising  monopoly.  Fortunately  the  opposition 
was  alert  and  watchful  and  succeeded  in  defeating  the  project. 

A  law  which  was  passed  May  19,  1896, 
amended  the  powers  of  the  Board  of  Aldermen,  giving  them  per- 
mission "to  grant  permits  for  the  erection  of  booths  and  stands 
within  stoop  lines,  the  owner  or  owners  of  said  premises  consenting 
thereto,  for  use  by  bootblacks,  for  the  sale  of  newspapers,  period- 
icals, fruits  and  soda  water  only,  and  also  to  grant  permits  for  the 
erection  of  booths  and  stands  in  or  on  the  space  immediately  un- 
derneath tlie  steps  or  stairs  leading  to  and  from  the  elevated  railroad 
stations,  and  within  the  curb  line,  for  the  sale  of  newspapers  and 
periodicals." 

Under  this  law  a  resolution  was  introduced 
by  AWemian  Noonan  giving  to  "A.  B.  &  C'  tlie  right  to  erect  and 
maintain  for  twenty  years  advertising  booths  or  news-stands  under 
all  the  "L"  stairs.  The  company  was  to  furnish  free  ice  water  and  a 
free  lavatory,  the  city  supplying  the  water,  the  Aldermen  naming 
a  newsdealer  to  occupy  the  stand  rent  free,  he  to  keep  the  booth 


Kloslu. 


Home 
Rule. 


Free 

Ice 

Watw. 


150 


MAYOR'S    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 


Lavatories. 


Plinth  and 
Dado 


clean  and  pay  for  lighting,  the  city  to  have  police,  fire  and  ambu- 
lance calls  and  space  for  a  city  directory,  and  the  company  to  pay 
to  the  city  5  per  cent,  of  its  net  profits  from  advertising. 

This  was  denounced  as  a  revival  of  the  De 
Fossez  bill,  while  one  Alderman  stated  that  he  was  authorized  to 
ofifer  20  per  cent,  of  the  gross  receipts  by  responsible  parties.  The 
resolution  failed  to  get  through  the  committee. 

In  England  it  has  long  been  the  custom  to 
provide  public  urinals.  Of  late  years  there  has  been  a  revolt  against 
the  disfigurement  caused  by  these  places  to  the  public  streets,  and 
many  cities  are  now  building  underground  conveniences,  usually 
furnishing  better  accommodation.  A  fee  of  2d.  is  charged  for  the 
use  of  towels  and  soap  with  hot  water  in  the  lavatory,  and  id.  for 
the  use  of  the  water-closets.  There  are  often  one  or  more  free  seats 
in  both  men's  and  women's  departments,  and  the  urinals  are  always 
free.  In  London  the  entrance  is  usually  in  the  center  of  a  street,  and 
the  narrow  strip  of  sidewalk  around  it  serves  as  one  of  the  refuges  so 
numerous  in  crowded  public  streets.  The  Islington  Vestry  has  re- 
cently erected  two  underground  conveniences,  and  two  others  are 
in  course  of  erection.  Of  these  latter,  one  is  for  women.  It  will  con- 
tain seven  water-closets  and  a  lavatory,  and  is  situated  near  the  first 
one  opened  for  men.  The  other  is  for  both  sexes,  and  will  contain 
seven  water-closets  and  lavatory  for  men,  and  four  water-closets  and 
lavatory  for  women.  The  first  convenience  for  men  only  was 
opened  on  December  3,  1894,  and  cost  ^1598  7s.  6d.  It  is  situated 
under  the  carriageway  of  the  High  Street,  and  comprises  entrance 
and  exit  staircases  enclosed  by  wrought  iron  railings,  six  water- 
closets,  twelve  urinals,  lavatory  with  three  basins,  attendant's  room 
and  two  storerooms.  The  roof  is  formed  of  pavement  lights  sup- 
ported on  steel  joists  and  is  laid  out  as  a  refuge.  The  brickwork 
has  been  built  in  Portland  cement.  The  interior  is  faced  with  white 
glazed  bricks,  with  a  plinth  and  dado  of  blue  glazed  bricks,  the 
whole  being  laid  with  very  fine  joints.  To  prevent  the  soaking  of 
water  into  the  brickwork,  a  horizonal  damp  course  has  been  laid  in 
all  walls  at  the  floor  level,  the  back  of  the  exterior  walls  has  been 
twice  coated  with  a  boiling  mixture  of  tar  and  pitch,  and  a  backing 
of  dry  rubble  has  been  put  around  the  walls,  and  drains  formed 
of  channel  pipes  laid  so  as  to  discharge  subsoil  water  through  weep 
holes  in  the  exterior  walls  into  gullies  inside  the  convenience.  The 
drains  are  formed  of  glazed  stoneware  socketed  pipes,  jointed  with 
cement  and  made  watertight.  They  are  ventilated  into  brick  cham- 
bers in  the  carriageway,  the  chambers  also  acting  as  surface  water 


PUBLIO    COMFORT    STATIONS.  161 

gullies.  The  floors  are  laid  with  vitreous  tiles.  Cast  iron  gratings 
and  a  central  lamp  column  on  the  refuge  have  been  provider!  for  the 
ventilation  of  the  convenience.  Gas  jets  fixed  over  the  doors  of  the 
water-closets  light  the  convenience  at  night,  and  the  products  of 
combustion  arc  collected  by  hoods  placcfl  above  the  jets,  and  con- 
veyed by  tubes  discharging  under  the  ventilating  gratings  on  the 
refuge. 

The  second  convenience,  for  both  men  and 
women,  was  opened  a  week  later  and  cost  £2542  9s.  4d.  The  Vestry 
met  with  considerable  dillficulties  in  the  site.  The  Public  Health 
(London)  Act,  1891,  which  vests  the  ground  under  the  carriageway 
of  a  road  in  the  Local  Authority  for  the  pui-pose  of  constructing 
public  conveniences,  does  not  give  the  same  right  to  the  ground  un- 
der the  sidewalk.  The  center  of  the  road  was  occupied  by  a  double 
line  of  street  cars,  and  large  water  mains  were  directly  underneath. 
The  owner  of  the  property  would  not  permit  the  use  of  the  sidewalk 
for  the  construction  of  staircases  though  he  permitted  the  construc- 
tion of  areas  under  part  of  it,  and  the  staircases  were  built  in  the 
street,  though  it  was  only  possible  to  construct  one  entrance  and 
exit  for  the  two  conveniences.  The  men's  convenience  comprises 
twelve  urinals,  five  water-closets  and  two  lavatories;  the  women's, 
four  water-closets  (one  free)  and  a  lavatory  with  two  basins.  There 
is  an  attendant's  room  and  a  storeroom  under  the  staircase  in  each 
convenience.  The  main  wall  next  the  center  of  the  road  runs  for 
its  entire  length  alongside  a  water  main  three  feet  in  diameter.  In 
order  to  avoid  disturbing  the  water  main,  shafts  have  been  sunk  on 
one  side  and  headings  driven  under  it  near  each  of  the  sockets. 
Each  heading  was  taken  down  to  the  level  of  the  foundations  of  the 
main  wall,  a  pier  of  cement  concrete  was  then  put  in  the  heading  and 
carried  half  way  up  the  water  main,  and  as  soon  as  the  concrete  was 
set,  the  excavation  for  and  the  building  of  the  main  wall  referred  to 
were  proceeded  with,  the  three-feet  water  main  being  securely  sup- 
ported by  the  concrete  piers. 

The  interior  work  is  similar  to  that  in  the 
first-mentioned  convenience.  As  the  sewer  into  which  the  conveni- 
ences are  drained  is  shallow  and  is  also  subject  to  flooding  during 
heavy  rainfalls,  arrangements  have  had  to  be  made  for  the  preven- 
tion of  the  flooding  of  the  convenience  w'hen  the  sewer  is  overfull. 
The  drain  will  then  be  shut  ofif  from  the  sewer  by  a  valve  placed  in  a 
manhole  immediately  outside  the  convenience,  worked  from  the  in- 
side of  the  men's  convenience.  In  order  to  provide  for  draining 
of  the  convenience  when  the  sewer  is  flooded,  a  tank  has  been  con- 


152  MAYOR'S    COMMITTEE    ON    TUBLIC    BATHS. 

structed  under  the  floor  of  the  men's  convenience.  An  automatic 
alarm  worked  by  the  water  rising  in  the  manhole  indicates  when  the 
valve  must  be  closed  to  prevent  the  flooding  of  the  convenience  by 
the  water  from  the  sewer,  and  also,  as  the  water  subsides,  when  the 
valve  may  be  opened  again.  Cast  iron  gratings  have  been  fixed  in 
the  risers  of  the  stairs  and  openings  formed  in  the  rear  walls  of  the 
water-closets  so  that  a  current  of  air  may  pass  through  the  conven- 
ience to  the  "Blackman"  exhaust  fans,  which  are  worked  by  the 
pressure  of  water  from  the  street  main,  the  water  being  afterwards 
used  for  flushing  the  urinals  and  the  drains.  The  roof  of  the  con- 
venience is  formed  of  steel  troughing  carried  by  built  girders  of 
wrought  iron.  The  troughing  is  covered  with  cement  which  forms 
the  foundation  of  the  roadway  above. 

For  three  months  to  the  end  of  the  financial 
year,  the  receipts  at  both  these  conveniences  were  extremely  satis- 
factory', and  more  than  met  the  working  expenses. 

HIGH   STREET  CONVENIENCE. 
RECEIPTS. 

£       s.  d. 

782  tickets  for  lavatory  at  2(1 6  10     4 

21,678  tickets  for  use  of  water  closet  at  Id.   . .  .      90     6     6 

Total £96  16  10 

PAYMENTS. 

Wages 42     4     2 

Uniforms    2  11  10 

Tickets  and  ticket  holders 7     2     0 

Brooms  and  brushes 6     5  11 

Chandlery    1    4  10 

Washing  towels  1  13     4 

Gas  1     2    3 

Water   1     5    3 

Miscellaneous   1    3    9 

Total £64  13     4 

Surplus ■ .  £32    3     6 

£96  16  10 

Interest  on  loan,  June  12, 1893,  to  March  31, 1895    69    9    4 
Principal  repaid 44    0     0 

Total £113     9    4 

PARKHURST  ROAD  CONVENIENCE. 
RECEIPTS. 
Men: — 

366  tickets  for  lavatory  at  2d 3     1    0 

13,108  tickets  for  water  closet  at  Id 54  12    4 

Women: — 

44  tickets  for  lavatory  at  2d 0    7    4 

5,278  tickets  for  water  closet  at  Id 21  19  10 

Total £80    0     6 

Deficit 25     1     1 

£105     1     7 


I'UDLKJ    (J(>.\IK(>It'r    S'I'A'I  IONS.  153 

lOXI'ENHEH. 

jL  k.  (I. 

Wjwn  <»r  aU.(!U(l!iiit,s  (lucn'H)  H  •"'>  T 

Wjik<'H  of  attouduiitH  (womeii'H) 2H  S  7 

Unll'oniiH 2  II  l'» 

TlckclH  iiixl  ticket  lioMcrH 10  12  8 

RrooiiiH  !ui(l  briislics 11  10  1 

(limiKlicry    1  1  " 

AVjisIiIii;,'  (owcIk I  0  '> 

(Jiis  liUln,t,' 1  i:'.  o 

Gas    1  H  U 

Water   1  0  10 

Mlscellaueous  Ill  3 

TotMl £105     1     7 

Iiitorcst  on  hcuis £10     2     1 

For  the  first  convenience  a  loan  of  £1300 
was  obtained  from  the  London  County  Council  at  3I  per  cent.;  for 
the  second  a  loan  of  £2400.  Both  conveniences  were  designed  by 
the  Chief  Surveyor  of  the  Vestrj'. 

Besides  these  conveniences  Islington  has 
forty-two  public  urinals  with  one  hundred  and  eighty-eight  com- 
partments, all  free.  In  the  year  ending  March  31,  1895,  the  cost  was 
as  follows : 

£       s.  d. 

Masons  and  paviors'  work 2.5     2  2 

Paintinj::  and  repairs  and  provision  of  automatic 

flushing  apparatus  throughout  Parish 160    0  0 

Water  for  flushing   184     1  8 

Smiths'  work  and  repairs  9  17  2 

Plates  and  sinks 4     9  3 

Notice  tablets  0  17  4 

Acknowledgment  for  sites 0  12  0 

Total £393  19     2 

The  conveniences  and  urinals  are  managed 
by  the  Works  Committee  of  the  Vestry,  the  Finance  Department 
checking  the  receipts. 

The  parish  of  Chelsea,  London,  with  less 
than  100,000  inhabitants,  contains  seventeen  urinals  and  two  under- 
ground conveniences.  The  cost  of  maintaining  the  former  during 
the  financial  year  1893-4  was  ;£i579  los.  lod..  and  in  1894-5.  £934 
IIS.  4d.  This  included  thorough  repairs  to  one  urinal,  while  anotlier 
was  removed  and  reconstructed  on  a  new  site.  Patent  automatic 
flushing  tanks  had  been  fitted  to  all  these  conveniences  and  were 
reported  to  be  working  well,  and  using  less  water  with  equal  effi- 
ciency.   The  second  latrine  was  designed  and  built  by  the  men  in 


154 


MAYOR'S    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 


the  direct  employ  of  the  Vestry  at  a  cost  of  £625.    The  receipts  and 
expenses  for  these  underground  conveniences  were  as  follows : 


Sloane  Square. 


No.  Using. 


Receipts. 


58.709     ;^262  13     2 
62,200    I    207  12     7 


Working 
Expenses. 


World's  End. 


No.  Using. 


Receipts. 


I;^2t52 
272 


£1    9    1 

78  18     1 


1893-4 
1894-5 


1,750 
18,635 


The  figures  given  for  1893-4  at  the  World's 
End  convenience  are  from  date  of  opening,  February  5,  to  March 
25,  1894. 

St.  George,  Hanover  Square,  has  a  popula- 
tion about  equal  to  that  of  Chelsea,  and  has  now  three  latrines,  a 
fourth  being  in  course  of  construction. 

Some  idea  of  the  accommodation  provided 
may  be  gathered  from  the  following: 


Marble 
Arch 
Conveni- 
ence. 


Tate 

of 
open- 
ing 

Cost 

Accommodations. 

Men 

Women 

No. 

"C 

!>0 

i 

c 

> 

p  0 

15    M 

1 

1 

> 

>A 

< 

ij 

&    sd 

1 

1891 

1434    2  8 

13 

5 

1 

2 

1893 

7378  15  8 

72 

24  paid  and 
2  free 

2  with  6 
basins  each 

2 

8 

1  with   two  basins 
and     two    private 
with     basin     and 
water  closet 

3 

1894 

995  10  6 

14 

6 

3 

4 

2 

4 

6473    0  0 

32 

12 

6 

12 

4 

The  cost  of  the  first  convenience  includes 
outlay  for  an  ornamental  cast  iron  clock  tower  with  clock  and  four 
dials.  The  second  and  largest  is  built  on  a  site  at  the  Marble  Arch 
granted  by  the  Government  Office  of  Works.  It  is  built  under- 
ground of  brickwork  faced  inside  with  ivory  white  glazed  bricks.  It 
is  surrounded  above  the  ground  level  by  a  handsome  balustrade 
cf  solid  Portland  stone.  There  are  four  entrances,  two  from  the 
road  and  two  from  Hyde  Park,  each  five  feet  wide  and  fitted  with 
Bostwick's  patent  iron  collapsible  trellis  gates.  The  water-closets 
are  of  the  pedestal  pattern,  fitted  with  mahogany  seats  and  flushing 
tanks,  etc.  The  urinals  are  semi-circular  fire-clay  backs,  in  white 
enamel  with  polished  Rouge  Royal  Marble  divisions.  The  lava- 
tories are  also  fitted  with  polished  marble  tops,  and  are  supplied  with 


I'UliLIU    COMFOKT    STATIONS.  1&5 

liot  and  cold  vvaUr.  'J'lic  usual  charges  arc  made.  The  women's 
department  is  entirely  ab(jve  ground,  and  is  similar  in  character  to 
the  lodges  in  the  parks.  It  is  a  substantial  structure  of  Grecian  de- 
sign, built  of  brickwork  faced  on  the  outside  with  solid  Portland 
stone,  and  on  the  inside  with  ivory  white  glazed  bricks.  For  the 
use  of  a  private  lavatory,  containing  washbasin  and  water-closet,  a 
special  charge  of  4d.  is  made.  The  fittings  are  similar  to  those  in  the 
men's  department,  the  floor  being  laid  with  black  and  white  en- 
caustic tiles.  There  are  two  entrances,  one  in  the  park.  The  drain- 
age was  designed  in  accordance  with  the  most  approved  principles 
of  sanitation,  and  the  sanitary  appliances  and  fittings  are  of  the 
most  modem  description.  Both  departments  have  good  light  and 
ventilation,  and  are  lighted  by  electricity.  The  doors  of  the  water- 
closets  have  patent  automatic  "penny-in-the-slot"  locks.  The  men's 
department  is  open  from  7  a.  m.  to  12.30  a.  m.,  and  the  women's 
from  8  a.  m.  till  midnight  week  days;  on  Sundays  both  are  open 
from  9  a.  m.  to  11  p.  m. 

The  Board  of  Works  for  the  St.  Giles  Dis- 
trict, which  has  a  population  of  about  50,000,  has  recently  erected 
two  latrines.  The  first,  on  Shaftesbury  Avenue,  was  opened  in  1892, 
and  the  cost  in  the  financial  year  1892-3  for  building  and  mainten- 
ance was  iioo2  7s.  8d.;  the  receipts  for  the  same  period  were  £267 
8s.  2d.  For  the  year  ending  1893-4,  the  receipts  were  £327  3s.  3d.; 
expenses  as  follows : 

f      s.  d. 

Wages  of  attendant 223  12    o 

Repairs  42  10    8 

Water  supply  15  14     0 

Lighting  34  17     6 

Disinfectants    29  11     7 

Attendants'  uniforms,  washing  towels,  soap, 

chandlery,  etc 65     6  10 

Total £411  12     7 

Repayment  of  loan ISO     0     0 

Interest  on   loan    55    3    2 

Total £646  15    9 

The  latrine  for  men  and  women  at  the 
junction  of  New  Oxford  Street  and  Charing  Cross  Road  was 
opened  September  29,  1895,  at  a  cost  of  about  £2500,  and  has  proved 
a  great  success.  There  are  fourteen  urinals,  twelve  water-closets 
and  three  lavatories  for  men,  and  six  water-closets  and  three  lavator- 
ies for  women.  All  the  urinals  and  one  of  the  women's  water-closets 
are  free ;  the  usual  charges  are  made  for  other  accommodation,  and 


156  MAYORS    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 

it  is  estimated  that  the  receipts  will  amount  to  about  iiooo.  The 
latrine  has  a  superficial  area  of  1500  feet,  and  is  situated  at  a  depth  of 
fourteen  feet  below  the  level  of  the  roadway.  The  women's  depart- 
ment is  approached  by  a  stairway  leading  from  the  sidewalk.  The 
internal  fittings  are  of  the  most  modern  description.  The  water- 
closets  are  Jennings'  syphonic  discharge  apparatus,  and  the  urinals 
of  the  radial  basin  stall  pattern.  The  convenience  is  ventilated  by 
Blackman's  air  propeller,  worked  by  water  power,  the  waste  water 
being  used  for  flushing.  The  ventilator  is  placed  beneath  a  refuge 
in  the  center  of  the  roadway.  On  each  refuge  there  is  an  ornamental 
ventilating  lamp  column.  The  roof  of  the  latrine  is  of  rolled  steel 
girders  and  trough  plates ;  the  staircases  are  formed  of  iron  framing 
with  patent  reversible  treads.  Beside  the  latrines  the  Board  of 
Works  maintains  fourteen  urinals  with  fifty-one  stalls,  the  number 
of  stalls  varying  from  one  to  six.  Only  two  of  these,  with  four 
compartments,  are  without  an  automatic  water  supply.  The  whole 
of  them  were  repainted  during  the  year  at  a  cost  of  £25. 

The  parish  of  St.  Martin-in-the-Fields 
maintains  a  latrine  at  Charing  Cross,  which  is  kept  open  from  7 
a  m.  to  midnight  on  week-days,  and  until  1 1  p.  m.  on  Sundays. 
In  winter  the  women's  department  is  opened  at  8  a.  m.  Besides 
this,  the  Vestry  maintains  nine  urinals  with  thirty-one  compart- 
ments. Of  these,  six  are  of  slate,  two  of  iron  and  one  of  brick  and 
slate.    The  receipts  and  payments  for  1893-4  were  as  follows: 

RECEIPTS. 

£       s.  d. 

Rebate  on  electric  current 1  13  10 

Payments  for  use  of  lavatories,  etc 794    9    9 

Total  £796 

PAYMENTS. 

Contract  

Electric  light 

Water   

Condensers    

Law  costs   

Gas 

Repairs 303  18  11 

Painting  urinals 58     7     1 

Paper,  name  plates,  uniforms,  etc 20  17     7 

Wages  and  washing  towels,  Charing  Cross 

lavatory 296  16     6 

Wages,  cleansing  urinals,  etc 67  13  10 

Oilman's  goods 17  17     7 

Sundries 34  15     8 


£796  3 

7 

312  3 

58  17 

210  2 

11  14 
13  11 

12  13 

11 
9 
1 
4 
0 
2 

Total £1,419     9     5 


CO  5 

3  ~ 


a>     o 

2  ^ 


I'UJtlilO    (;().MJ''<>in'    S'lA'IlONH. 


157 


( )i  this,  /271  13.S.  lOfl.  was  spent  on  tlic 
maintenance  and  repairs  of  llie  urinals,  which  arc  free. 

Shoreditcli  opened  an  underground  sani- 
tary convenience  and  hivat(jry  for  \)(>i\)  sexes  in  October,  1895,  at 
a  total  cost  of  about  ii8oo,  ttnvards  wliirh  a  street  railway  corpora- 
tion contributed  £600.  The  convenience  is  sixty  feet  by  fifteen  feet, 
and  its  floor  is  about  ten  feet  below  the  surface  of  the  Headway. 
There  are  twelve  urinals,  six  water-closets  and  three  lavatories  for 
men,  and  three  water-closets  and  one  lavatory  for  women.  The 
convenience  was  constructed  by  the  same  contractor  as  the  new 
convenience  in  the  St.  Giles  district,  and  its  fittings  arc  very  similar. 

The  Strand  District  I'.oard  of  Works 
maintains  two  latrines,  the  accommodation  being  as  follows: 


Cost. 

Accommodation. 

Latrine. 

Men. 

Women. 

Urinals. 

^^Z.  I^--^^-- 

ZfeZ.    l^-'toHea. 

Wellinstou  St.  . . 
Law  Courts  

£1,860 
2,474 

18 
20 

10                4 
12                5 

4 

4 

2 
2 

In  addition  to  these  latrines  maintained 
by  the  local  authority  there  are  six  free  and  ten  other  latrines  for 
which  a  charge  of  id.  is  made  in  Covent  Garden  Market. 

The  accommodations  outside  of  London 
are  not  so  adequate,  though  the  large  cities  are  rapidly  taking  the 
matter  up. 

Birmingham  makes  more  provision  for 
women  than  most  other  places,  as  will  be  seen  from  the  following 
table  of  accommodations  provided  for  women  only: 


Premises. 


Two  small  premises 
fitted  up  as  shops,  con- 
tain two  water-closets 

each 

Two  sets,  contain'g  six 
One  bxiildinc;,  five .... 


Charge. 


;^d 

Id  and  ; 
Id 


Wages  of  Attendant. 


lOs.  per  week 

15s  and  10s.  per  week 

9s.  per  week 


9  a.  m.  to  7  p.  m. 

8  a.  m.  to  8  p   m. 

9.30  a.m.  to  9.30  p.m. 


Bradford  reports  thirty-five  urinals  in  the 
year  ending  August  31,  1804,  as  against  thirty-two  in  the  previous 
year.  Arrangements  were  made  for  four  more,  and  negotiations 
pending  for  one  in  the  workhouse  grounds.  The  urinals  are  under 
the  care  of  the  Sanitary-  Committee  of  the  Town  Council. 


158  MAYOR'S    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 

Brighton,  for  the  year  1894-5,  reported  the 
working  expense  of  its  lavatories  to  be  £560  iis.  iid.,  receipts, 
£700  IIS.  3d.,  a  very  favorable  state  of  affairs. 

Burnley,  with  a  population  of  over  60,000, 
spent  £260  on  its  conveniences  in  the  year  ending  March  25,  1894, 
and  i435  i^  ^^^  following  year. 

Croydon,  with  80,000  population,   spent 

£255  5s.  3d.  on  new  urinals  in  the  year  1893-4,  and  the  following  for 

working  expenses  of  both  drinking  fountains  and  urinals: 

£       s.  d. 

Rent  of  sites  0  14    0 

Repairs  to  urinals  27    9    6 

Hose    2     2     9 

Ironmonger,  etc 5  16    9 

Gas    4  18  11 

New  fountain  and  repairs 7    0    6 

Wages 88    5    8 

Total  £136     8     1 

Sheffield's  account  for  these  conveniences 
for  the  year  1894-5  was  as  follows: 

URINALS. 

£       s.  d. 
Acknowledgments    for    privilege     to    erect 

urinals    3     1     0 

Plumbing  and  repairs 46  14  10 

Water  and  gas  320  12  10 

Total  £370    8    8 

WAITING  ROOMS. 
RECEIPTS. 

£      s.  d.       f      s.  d. 
Fitzalan  Square:— 

Use  of  men's  lavatories 122  17  10 

Use  of  women's  lavatories 142    6     1 

265    3  11 

Moorhead:— 

Use  of  men's  lavatories 66  18    3 

Use  of  women's  lavatories 50    5    5 

— —  117     3     8 

£382     7     7 

PAYMENTS. 
Fitzalan  Square:— 

Wages  of  attendant 46  16    0 

Rates,  taxes,  gas  and  water 47  12    6 

Washing  towels,  repairs,  etc ....      25  12  10 

120     1     4 

Moorhead: — 

Wages  of  attendant  41  12    0 

Gas  and  water 17  17  11 

Cleaning  material,  repairs,  etc. . .      13  15    9 

73    5    8 

Total  £193     7    0 


IMJl'.I.IO    (JOMFOll'I'    STATIONS. 


1.V.J 


In  Germany  the  ;iccoinniocJation  provided 
is  very  similar.  Allona  has  erected  chalets  for  ladies,  with  a  notion 
store  in  the  front,  this  making-  it  possible  for  ladies  to  enter  without 
embarrassment,  as  the  entrance  is  always  through  the  shops. 

Berlin  has  146  urinals  with  735  compart- 
ments. Every  day  they  use  971,000  gallons  of  water  or  354,900,oo(j 
per  year,  at  a  cost  of  $3190.  Lately  the  city  has  been  experiment- 
ing with  an  oil  closure  system,  which  would  take  the  place  of  flush- 
ing. For  this  a  mixture  of  petroleum  and  rapeseed  oil  has  been 
used.  The  oil  being  comparatively  light  rises  to  the  top  and  keeps 
down  all  disagreeable  odors.  The  saving  is  said  to  be  consider- 
able. The  city  has  not  yet  decided  to  adopt  the  system  altogether, 
but  is  investigating  it.  The  urinals  were  introduced  at  a  very  early 
date,  but,  of  course,  only  provided  for  men.  In  1877  two  conven- 
iences for  women  were  opened  in  schoolhouses,  and  one  in  tiie 
playground  of  a  schoolhouse.  The  use  of  these  was  free,  except 
that  in  each  establishment  one  closet  was  only  to  be  used  on  pay- 
ment of  a  small  "tip"  to  the  attendant.  These  conveniences  were 
not  much  used,  and  a  private  contractor  established  five  others 
in  rented  rooms  for  both  men  and  women.  Each  establishment 
contained  accommodation  for  from  six  to  eight  persons.  The  enter- 
prise failed  for  lack  of  support,  partly  due  to  the  places  not  being 
sufficiently  noticeable.  In  1879  the  contractor  obtained  permission 
to  erect  conveniences  in  various  public  places;  and  the  necessary 
water  was  freely  granted.  There  are  now  twenty-two  such  places, 
with  accommodations  for  both  sexes.  The  city  has  made  a  ver>' 
advantageous  agreement  with  the  contractor,  by  which  he  turns 
over  10  per  cent,  of  the  net  income  to  the  city,  and  at  the  expiration 
of  the  agreement  the  conveniences  become  the  property  of  the 
city.  A  fee  of  10  pfennigs  (2.38  cents),  first  class,  and  5  pfennigs, 
second  class,  is  charged.  In  the  first-class  toilet  is  a  washbasin, 
towel  and  mirror,  which  are  absent  in  the  second  class.  An  extra 
5  pfennigs  is  charged  for  clean  towel,  soap,  comb  and  brush.  No 
one  is  allowed  to  remain  longer  than  fifteen  minutes  in  a  ;om- 
partment.  Seven  of  the  establishments  are  open  all  night,  the  re- 
mainder from  7  a.  m.  to  1 1  p.  m.  The  attendant  receives  33  cents 
for  either  day  dutN--  (7  a.  m.  to  11  p.  m.)  or  night  duty  (10  p.  m.  to 
8  a.  m.). 

Brunswick,  with  75.000  inhabitants,  has 
only  two  municipal  public  comfort  stations  in  two  of  the  larger 
market  places.  The  usual  fees  are  charged.  The  urinals,  the  num- 
bers of  which  are  continually  increasing,  are  everywhere  free. 


Aitona. 


Berlin. 


Private 
Con- 
tractor. 


Brunswick. 


160 


MAYOR'S    COMMITTEE    OX    TUBLIC    BATHS. 


Chemnitz.  Chemnitz    provides   for  a  population   of 

139,000  three  latrines.  The  first,  for  both  men  and  women,  was 
erected  in  1890  at  a  cost  of  $1 140.  For  the  use  of  either  closet  or 
urinal  there  is  a  fee  of  5  pfennigs  (1.19  cents).  Automatic  paying 
machines  are  placed  at  the  door  of  each  compartment.  In  1892  this 
establishment  was  used  by  7830  persons,  in  1893  by  7172,  in  1894  by 
7078,  in  1895  by  6618.  Two  other  conveniences  were  built  in  1895 
at  a  cost  of  $640  and  $950  respectively.  In  addition  there  are 
twenty-six  public  urinals,  for  the  use  of  which  no  fee  is  charged. 
These  are  partly  water  flushing,  partly  oil  disinfection;  the  latter 
method  has  proved  very  successful.  The  management  and  con- 
trol are  vested  in  the  City  Building  Department.  For  1894  the  cost 
was  as  follows: 

Appropriation.  Actual  Cost. 

Erection  of  new  urinal $142  80  $142  38 

Clean.siug  and  disinfecting  urinals 628  32  598  12    . 

Water  for  flushing  1,951  60  1,777  86 


Dresden. 


Hamburg. 


Leipzig. 


Dresden  has  twenty-nine  public  conven- 
iences for  men,  one  of  which  can  be  used  as  a  lavatory  by  women, 
for  which  a  small  fee  is  paid  to  the  attendant.  A  second  public 
lavatory  for  women  is  erected  on  city  property  and  leased  to  a  con- 
tractor for  $72  yearly;  he  charges  a  small  fee  for  the  use  of  it.  A 
joint  stock  Company  for  Hygienic  Purposes  has  erected  eleven  lat- 
rines for  both  men  and  women.  There  are  two  classes,  the  first 
containing  two  closets  for  each  sex,  and  the  second,  one  each  and  a 
urinal.  The  usual  fees  are  charged  and  there  is  an  automatic  regis- 
tering apparatus.  The  company  does  not  guarantee  a  dividend,  as 
the  income  has  never  been  high  enough. 

Hamburg  contains  a  number  of  urinals 
and  water-closets  for  free  use.  Several  of  them  are  built  casemate- 
like into  the  lining  wall  of  deep-lying  landing  places.  Besides  these, 
a  limited  liability  Company  for  Hygienic  Purposes  has  established 
conveniences  on  city  grounds,  parks,  etc.,  whose  use  it  obtained 
free.  The  buildings  are  of  iron  and  contain  the  usual  accommoda- 
tion at  10  and  5  pfennigs. 

Leipzig's  urinals  are  in  the  form  of  little 
houses  built  of  iron  or  corrugated  sheet  metal ;  they  have  an  open 
entrance  protected  by  a  screening  wall  and  contain  as  a  rule,  three, 
rarely  seven,  standing  places,  the  use  of  which  is  free  of  charge. 
They  are  lighted  by  gas,  furnished  with  intermittent  water  rinsing, 
and  connected  with  the  city's  sewer  system.  Lately,  patented  oil 
closures  have  been  introduced  into  them.     Disinfection  is  accom- 


PUBI.KJ    CU.MFOKT    STA'IION.S.  ICi 

plislu'd  hy  llic  tisc  of  dilnlrd  r;Li])i>lic  acid.  The  City's  Economy  In- 
spection carts  for  and  maintains  these  places.  There  arc  also 
twenty-one  conveniences  containinj^  seven  urinal  stands,  one  closet 
for  men,  and  two  (with  facilities  for  washing)  for  wfjmen.  The  at- 
tendant stays  in  the  women's  department  and  has  t<j  go  around 
the  building-  when  summoned  by  a  hell.  Two  establishments  have 
lately  been  erected  after  a  Vienna  model  and  contain  six  urinals  and 
one  closet  for  men  and  three  closets  for  women.  The  attendant 
stays  in  the  middle  of  the  establishment  and  does  not  need  to  go 
outside  of  the  building  to  the  men's  department.  They  have  pat- 
ented oil  closure  instead  of  water  rinsing,  and  are  lighted  by  gas  and 
heated  by  coke  stoves.  The  cost  of  such  an  establishment,  including 
foundation  walls  and  sewer  connection,  is  a  little  over  $2000.  The 
use  of  the  urinals  for  men,  and' one  closet  for  women  is  free,  for  the 
other  accommodation  the  usual  charges  are  made.  The  urinals  are 
always  kept  open ;  the  closets  from  7  a.  m.  to  8  p.  m.  in  summer,  and 
from  8  a.  m.  to  8  p.  m.  in  winter.  The  attendants  are  elderly  women, 
usually  widows,  who  receive  either  $1.19  a  week  wages  and  the 
receipts,  in  consideration  of  which  they  take  care  of  the  cleaning  and 
closing  of  the  houses  and  furnish  the  necessary^  linen,  or  they  have 
a  weekly  wage  of  $1.90  and  turn  over  the  receipts  to  the  city,  which 
then  furnishes  the  linen.  An  automatic  numbering  machine  gives 
the  necessary  control.  All  of  the  establishments  have  proved  to  be 
of  practical  value,  and  are  willingly  patronized  by  the  people. 

In  ]\Iunich  the  urinals  are  generally  separ-  Munich 
ated  from  the  closets,  and  are  pavilion-shaped,  with  an.  octagonal 
base.  As  there  is  a  great  waste  of  water,  the  oil  closure  system  is  to 
be  tried.  The  conveniences  for  both  sexes  are  always  under  the  same 
roof,  but  with  separate  entrances.  The  attendant's  room  in  the  center 
gives  an  oversight  to  both  departments.  There  are  no  conveniences 
especially  for  women,  nor  is  it  proposed  to  erect  any.  It  is  pro- 
jected to  put  urinals  into  each  convenience. 

Posen  supplies  the  usual  German  accom- 
modation at  the  ordinary  charges. 

Only  two  conveniences  in  Strassburg  have 
water-closets.  There  is  no  charge  except  to  women,  who  pay  10 
pfennigs  (2.38  cents).  A  further  convenience  more  liberally  pro- 
vided W'ith  water-closets  is  shortly  to  be  erected. 

Stuttgart  is  just  introducing  public  com- 
fort stations,  to  be  built  by  the  same  contractor  Leipzig  employed. 


162  MAYOR'S    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 

Austrian  cities  follow  German  models. 
Austria.  Vienna  has  178  urinals  with  798  compartments,  besides  a  number  of 
conveniences.  It  was  the  first  city  to  introduce  the  oil  closure  sys- 
tem, which  has  proved  very  satisfactory,  and  is  now  being  generally 
adopted  throughout  Europe. 

Cracow,  with  66,000  population,  has  no 
water  pipes,  and  hence  no  public  conveniences  with  water  rinsing 
apparatus. 

Graz  is  erecting  three  public  comfort  sta- 
tions to  supersede  the  urinals  and  closets  at  present  in  use. 

Laibach  has  a  number  of  urinals  and  plain, 
unpretentious  closets,  for  which  no  fee  is  charged.  Besides  these 
there  are  little  houses  with  class  divisions.  In  each  class  is  one 
water-closet  and  a  urinal  with  permanent  water  rinsing  for  men,  and 
a  water-closet  for  women.  There  is  also  an  attendant's  room.  All 
these  places  are  city  property  and  are  managed  by  the  city. 

Milan,  Italy,  contains  two  public  comfort 
stations.  One  on  the  Via  S.  Croce  accommodates  ninety  persons 
and  cost  $5790.  The  other,  on  the  Via  Cherubini,  provides  for 
sixty-six  persons.  These  are  free,  and  no  account  is  kept  of  the 
number  using  them. 


Sweden. 


Gothenburg,  Sweden,  has  no  lavatories, 
but  there  are  sixteen  public  water-closets,  for  which  no  fee  is 
charged.  The  cost  for  maintenance  in  1894  was  $580.68.  There  are, 
besides,  about  200  urinals. 


Mayor's 


CHAPTER  XII. 

RECOMMKNDAIIONS    OK   TIIK    MAYOR'S   COMMITTEE. 

Plans  for  a  Jhih/ic  Bath  on  a  site  lOO  by  jo/cet. 

According  to  the  law  quoted  page  31  the 
Board  of  Health  is  to  determine  how  many  public  baths  will  be 
necessary.  President  Wilson,  in  behalf  of  the  Board,  determined 
upon  the  general  vicinity  of  sites  for  seven  baths,  and  requested  com- 
the  Mayor's  Committee  to  submit  him  plans  and  studies  for  a  lot  mittee. 
100  by  50  feet.  When  ordering  the  plans  he  stipulated  that  the  city 
was  not  to  be  called  upon  to  pay  for  them  unless  they  met  the  ap- 
proval of  the  Board.  This  request  was  made  in  April,  1895;  July  8 
the  Comniittee  had  the  pleasure  of  forwarding  the  following  com- 
munication. 

New  York,  July  8,  1895. 
Hon.  Charles  G.  Wilson, 

President  Board  of  Health,  New  York  City. 

My  Dear  Sir: — Since  my  last  report  to  you,  I  have  the  honor 
of  informing  you  that  the  Mayor  appointed  Messrs.  Hamilton, 
Archibald,  Morris  and  Tolman  a  "Mayor's  Committee  on  Public 
Baths  and  Lavatories,"  with  a  view  of  continuing  investigations  and 
seeing  if  some  means  cannot  be  devised  for  working  and  tr)-ing  at 
once  some  of  the  recommendations  of  the  sub-committee  of  the 
late  Committee  of  Seventy. 

In  pursuance  of  his  Honor's  request,  the  above  gentlemen  met 
for  reorganization  July  ist.  Mr.  William  G.  Hamilton  was  chosen 
Chairman;  Dr.  Moreau  Morris,  Vice-Chairman,  and  William  H. 
Tolman,  Secretary. 

The  Mayor's  Committee  therefore  submit  for  the  considera- 
tion of  your  Board  the  accompanying  studies  and  plans  for  a  public 
bath  on  a  city  lot  100  by  50  feet.  We  should  state,  in  accordance 
with  your  request  of  April,  1895,  ^or  studies  and  plans  for  a  public 
bath,  that  we  at  once  communicated  with  our  architects,  Messrs. 
Cady,  Berg  &  See,  and  would  respectfully  recommend: 

(i)  That  Messrs.  Cady,  Berg  &  See  be  appointed  architects  of 
such  public  baths  as  your  Board  shall  detemiine.  because  their 
plans  embody  the  wishes  of  the  Committee,  and  their  experience  in 
the  construction  of  public  baths  in  the  City  of  Xew  York  has  been 
crowned  with  success.    Bv  this  means  vour  Board  mav  avail  itself  of 


164  MAYOR'S    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 

the  studies  of  the  Committee  and  the  kno\\icd£;:e  wliich  is  the  result 
of  successful  experience. 

Sites.  (2)  ,  That  the  accompanying  plans  shall  regard  a  public  bath  to 

be  built  in  the  vicinity  of  Tompkins  Square,  and  shall  be  the  first  of 
a  series  of  five  others  to  be  located  in  the  vicinity  of 

1.  Washington  and  Carlisle  Streets. 

2.  Chatham  Square. 

3.  Essex  Market. 

4.  Tompkins  Square. 

5.  Fifty-eighth  Street  and  Eleventh  Avenue. 

6.  One  Hundred  and  Tenth  Street  and  Second  Avenue. 

It  should  be  stated  that  these  very  sites  had  been  recommended 
by  a  member  of  your  own  Board  in  a  report  to  you,  and  had  been 
selected  entirely  independently  of  the  Committee. 

(3)  It  is  the  urgent  recommendation  of  the  Committee,  a  fact 
which  is  confirmed  by  the  practice  of  the  best  English  and  Con- 
tinental baths,  that  a  fee  should  be  charged  for  the  use  of,  say  75  per 
cent,  of  the  baths,  with  the  remainder  free ,  as  a  bath  is  not  a  charity 
to  be  enjoyed  for  the  mere  asking,  whereby  the  recipient  loses  his 
independency,  but  should  be  a  municipal  provision  for  cleanliness 
on  the  payment  of  a  fair  charge;  then  the  user  retains  his  indepen- 
dency. 

Respectfully  submitted  in  behalf  of  the  Committee, 
(Signed)    WM.  HOWE  TOLMAN, 

Secretary. 

The  report  was  received  by  the  Board  and 
deemed  of  so  great  importance  that  it  was  referred  to  a  special 
committee.  After  careful  deliberation  the  matter  was  reported  to 
the  Board,  and  the  following  action  communicated  to  the  Com- 
mittee : 

Health  Department, 

New  York,  August  21,  1895. 
Wm.  Howe  Tolman,  Esq., 
Approval.  Secretary,  etc., 

105  East  Twenty-second  Street,  New  York. 

Dear  Sir: — At  a  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Health  of  the  Health 
Department,  held  August  20,  1895,  the  following  resolution  was 
adopted : 

"Resolved,  That  this  Board'  hereby  approves  of  the  plans  for 
a  public  bathhouse  recently  subm.itted  to  it  by  the  Mayor's  Com- 


('i'/v//.i;/i/,  /.'lo;,  /'.y  tlir  Mayoi-'s  Comiiiiltcc 


Suggested  Public  Comfort  Stations,  to  be  located  under  the  stairway  of  the 
Elevated  Railroad  Stations.  Each  station  could  be  sufficiently  large  to  accom- 
modate some  of  ihe  utensils  of  the  street-cleaning  department. 


■vCTCM  rOR   PUSUIC  CoKfORT  iTMlON 


Ci'/vr/jA/,  /j<J7,  by  the  Mayor's  CoiiiiiiitiCi-. 

Suggested  Public  Comfort  Station,  to  be  located  within  the  area  line,  against 
dead  walls.  Each  policeman's  post  should  contain  at  least  one  Public  Comfort 
Station,  thus  affording  a  convenience  for  letter  carriers,  street  sweepers  and 
policemen,  thereby  removing  the  necessity  of  utilizing  the  saloons,  a  usage  which 
is  in  violation  of  the  law. 


RECOMMENDATIONS  OF  THE  MAYOR'S  COMMITTEE.      ](r> 


mittee  on  Public  Baths,  Watcr-CIoscts  and  Urinals,  as  prepared  by 
Messrs.  Cady,  Berg  8i  See,  architects  and  engineers." 

(Signed)    EMMONS  CLARK, 

Secretary. 
A  True  Copy. 

In  the  plans  and  studies  for  the  first  bath, 
the  Committee  were  obliged  to  follow  the  general  principles  of  the 
People's  Bath  in  Centre  Market  Place,  adding  the  latest  experience 
of  the  European  models.  The  Committee  also  availed  themselves 
of  the  experience  of  their  architects  in  the  construction  and  plan- 
ning of  hospitals  and  other  public  buildings,  hence  a  composite 
study  was  secured  that  will  be  perfectly  suited  to  American  needs 
and  conditions. 

Describing  the  details  of  the  proposed  bath, 
it  will  be  seen  that  this  bathhouse  furnishes  eighty  baths,  of 
which  forty-two  are  for  men,  fifteen  for  boys,  and  twenty-three  for 
women.  Those  for  men  and  boys  are  so  arranged  that  their  pro- 
portions can  be  reversed  at  times  when  a  large  number  of  boys  will 
be  present.  These  baths  will  further  meet  the  needs  of  those  for 
whom  the  bath  tub  rather  than  the  spray  is  desirable,  three  tubs 
being  located  in  the  mezzanine  story  and  eleven  in  the  second  story ; 
provision  is  also  made  for  separate  baths  for  men  who  are  too  filthy 
to  be  admitted  to  the  public  baths. 

Besides  these  sub-divisions  there  is  a  gen- 
eral division  of  the  house  into  male  and  female  departments.  The 
moment  one  enters  the  house,  one  passes  either  into  the  male  or 
female  waiting-room,  which  are  separated  by  a  central  office  and 
partition  of  glass  and  ornamental  iron,  so  located  that  one  person 
controls  both  entrances,  as  well  as  all  the  entrances  to  baths,  stair- 
ways, etc.; 'thus,  no  one  can  enter  or  leave  the  building,  or  its  baths, 
without  being  seen  from  this  point.  This  separation  applies  not 
only  to  the  bathers,  but  to  employes  as  well,  as  no  person  can  pass 
from  the  male  to  the  female  departments,  or  the  reverse,  without 
passing  through  this  central  office  or  controlling  point  on  the  main 
floor;  the  economy  of  this  arrangement  in  the  administration  of  the 
baths  is  evident;  for,  at  times  when  there  are  few  bathers  present, 
one  person  can  control  all  parts  of  the  buildings. 

The  baths  themselves  are  constructed  of 
iron,  marble  and  unbreakable  glass,  the  iron  being  finished  in  white 
enamel.  Each  individual  spray  bath  has  two  compartments,  one  a 
dressing-room,  and  the  other  for  the  bath  itself.  The  floors  through- 
out are  of  solid  masonr\-,  no  iron  beams  being  used,  to  prevent 


Capacity. 


Depart- 
ments. 


166 


MAYOR'S    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 


Public 
Lavatory 
for  Men. 


Adminis- 
tration. 


cracking  due  to  their  expansion  and  contraction.  The  floor  of 
each  bath  compartment  has  sunk  into  it  a  Httle  marble  foot  bath; 
each  bath  and  apartment  will  have  separate  drain  to  main  sewer, 
this  for,  cleanliness  as  well  as  hygienic  reasons. 

Excepting  the  fourteen  tub  baths,  the 
baths  themselves  will  for  the  most  part  be  "rain  showers"  or  "ring 
showers"  (the  latter  arranged  so  that  water  will  not  strike  the  head, 
and  preferred  usually  by  women). 

The  material,  and  the  manner  in  which  it  is 
used,  will  greatly  aid  in  the  maintenance  of  cleanliness;  the  parti- 
tions being  of  heavy  rolled  glass  (with  wirework  imbedded  in  it), 
the  necessary  framework,  and  door  of  metal,  finished  in  white 
enamel.  The  foot  of  the  glass  partitions  is  to  be  finished  in  strong 
enamelled  wire  work  for  ventilation,  while  the  tops  of  the  com- 
partments will  be  covered  with  the  same  material,  allowing  the 
free  play  of  light  and  air,  but  preventing  thievery. 

The  solid  masonry  foundation  permits  the 
use  of  white  vitrified  tiling  for  the  floor,  without  danger  of  cracks 
or  open  joints;  and  it  has  the  further  important  value  of  fur- 
nishing a  series  of  masonry  passageways,  which  will  be  used  for  the 
plumbing  and  ventilating  pipes,  and  will  give  the  engineer  easy  ac- 
cess to  them,  while  keeping  all  parts  separate. 

No  plunge  baths  or  double  baths  of  any 
kind  will  be  used  for  easily  understood  hygienic  reasons. 

This  bath,  as  planned,  should  readily  ac- 
commodate one  million  bathers  per  year,  if  kept  open  as  required  by 
law,  and  properly  administered. 

The  plans  of  the  Committee  contemplate 
ample  provision  for  free  public  water-closets  and  urinals,  in  all  parts 
of  the  city,  but  it  has  been  deemed  wise  to  not  await  their  comple- 
tion, but  to  make  a  start  in  this  building.  A  free  lavatory  con- 
taining water-closets,  urinals  and  wash  sinks,  lias  been  provided  in 
the  basement,  accessible  directly  from  the  street.  The  water-closet 
seats  will  be  so  arranged  that  they  cannot  possibly  be  stood  upon. 

Of  course  ample  water-closets,  urinals, 
wash  basins  and  sinks  are  provided  for  the  employes  also,  in  each 
department  of  baths,  and  all  located  for  convenience  of  access. 

The  administrative  parts  of  the  building 
consist  of  the  engine  and  boiler  rooms,  which  are  placed  in  the 
basement,  and  from  which  by  means  of  the  brick  passages  already 
alluded  to  above  the  engineer  can  readily  control  all  of  the  main  and 


RECOMMENDATIONS  OF  THE  MAYOR'S  COMMITTEE.      107 


branch  lines  of  plumbing*,  as  well  as  all  parts  of  the  hoatini:^  and 
ventilating  apparatus  and  air  ducts. 

The  laundry  is  placed  (ju  the  second  floor, 
where  the  best  light  and  air  will  be  obtained. 

The  circular  office  or  central  controlling 
point  is  built  in  the  main  waiting-room,  not  only  giving  simple  and 
convenient  control  of  it,  as  previously  mentioned,  but  making  a 
central  point  from  which  keys,  towels,  soap  and  other  supplies  can 
be  given  out. 

Each  bather  should  be  allowed  twenty 
minutes  per  bath ;  sand  glasses  (which  are  reversed  when  he  enters) 
indicating  to  the  attendant  when  the  bather's  time  has  expired. 

We  think  it  would  be  advisable  in  the  first 
building  to  be  built  to  try  experimentally  the  several  systems  of 
controlling  the  quantity  and  temperature  of  water  allowed  each 
bather,  viz : 

First,  To  build  a  certain  number  of  baths  where  the  bather 
himself  will  be  allowed  to  control  both  the  temperature  of  the 
water  and  th/?  quantity  used. 

Second,  fo  build  some  baths  where  the  bather  can  control  the 
temperature  of  the  water,  but  where  the  quantity  of  hot  water  is 
limited. 

Third.  To  build  some  baths  where  the  bather  will  have  no 
control  over  the  water  supply  in  any  way.  The  attendant  to  fix  the 
temperature  and  the  quantity  from  a  central  point  outside  of  the 
baths. 

In  each  case,  however,  the  piping  and 
faucets  would  be  so  arranged  that  under  no  possible  conditions 
could  a  bather  scald  himself. 

We  would  recommend  the  heating  of  the 
water  by  the  German  or  "Gegenstrom"  system. 

The  heating  and  ventilating  will  be  in  gen- 
eral on  the  principle  of  drawing  down  the  fresh  air  through  the  large 
air  shafts  in  the  rear  (which  would  be  built  high  above  the  neigh- 
boring structures),  by  means  of  fans  and  electric  motors;  regulating 
its  temperature  by  blowing  through  plenums,  \\nth  steam  coils 
under  the  control  of  the  engineer,  and  then  forcing  it  to  the  various 
parts  of  the  building,  in  general  at  a  height  of  about  five  f^et  above 
the  floor. 

The  velocit}'  of  the  incoming  current  \\-ill 
be  so  regulated  to  the  various  parts,  as  to  avoid  any  possibilit}-  of 


Control  of 
Bathers. 


Heating 
and 

Ventila- 
ting. 


168  MAYOR'S   COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC   BATHS. 

feeling  a  draught,  and  yet  the  air  will  be  constantly  changed  in 
even,-  part. 

The  exhaust  would  be  near  the  ceilings  of 
the  rooms,  connecting  into  branch  exhaust  ducts  provided  for  that 
purpose;  the  branches  all  connecting  to  the  large  duct  on  the  second 
floor,  where  a  fan  and  motor  would  draw  the  air  out  of  the  building. 
In  winter  the  exhaust  fan  would  not  be  used,  but  the  air  allowed 
to  escape  by  natural  means,  using  only  the  inlet  fans  to  force  in  the 
fresh  air. 

All  of  these  ducts  would  be  controlled  by 
the  engineer  with  locking  adjusting  dampers,  to  prevent  unequal 
supplies  of  air,  or  unnecessary  exhaust  of  same. 
Design.  The  design  of  the  interior  has  been  planned 

to  make  the  waiting-rooms,  as  well  as  the  main  bathing  halls, 
ver\'  attractive  by  its  abundance  of  windows  and  skylights,  and  its 
light  reflecting  surfaces.  It  will  everywhere  suggest  cleanliness  and 
light,  and  no  possibility  of  hidden  disease  germs. 

The  exterior  is  in  classic  style,  admitting  of 
sufficient  ornamentation  to  be  attractive,  but  retaining  the  dignity 
and  massiveness  necessary^  to  prevent  its  appearing  insignificant  or 
trivial,  in  comparison  with  the  higher  and  probably  more  prominent 
buildings  adjoining. 

The  material  would  preferably  be  marble, 
although  the  design  would  be  carried  out  as  well  in  limestone  or 
other  light  masonry.  Whatever  material  is  used,  however,  should 
be  light  in  color. 

Proposed  Bath  for  Tompkins   Square. 

March  25,  1896,  the  Act  quoted  on  page 
31  became  a  law.  The  Mayor  was  very  anxious  that  aggressive 
measures  should  be  taken  at  once  and  proposed  a  conference  be- 
tween the  Commissioner  of  Public  Works  and  the  Committee,  since 
that  department  was  charged  with  the  initial  steps. 
Special  April  22d  a  special  meeting  of  the  Mayor's 

Meeting.  Committee  was  held  at  the  office  of  Mayor  Strong,  in  accordance 
with  his  request  that  the  Committee  should  meet  the 
Honorable  the  Commissioner  of  Public  Works,  in  order  to  dis- 
cuss the  proposed  bath  and  public  comfort  station.  The  salient 
points  of  the  Committee's  work  were  presented  to  the  Mayor  and 
the  Commissioner,  who  both  expressed  themselves  delighted  with 
the  work,  particularly  commending  it  for  its  practicability  and 
business-like  character.    General  Collis  requested  the  Secretary  to 


RECOMMIOiNDATION.S   (JK  Till':   MAYORS   (JO.M.M  riTKi:.      IC'J 

place  at  his  disposal  the  recommendations  desired  by  tlie  Commit-  pung 
tee,  in'  order  that  he  might  get  the  necessary  authority  from  the  Accepted. 
Board  of  Estimate  and  Apportionment.  He  also  signified  his 
willingness  to  avail  himself  of  the  services  of  Messrs.  Catly,  Berg 
&  See,  the  consulting  architects  of  the  Committee,  and  requested 
plans  and  drawings  of  a  proposed  bath  to  be  located  in  Tompkins 
Square,  the  latter  site  having  been  suggested  by  Mayor  Strong  as 
a  desirable  location  for  the  first  public  bath. 

In  accordance  with  the  ofificial  request  of 
the  Commissioner  of  Public  Works,  the  Committee  met  at  the 
office  of  General  CoUis,  May  i8,  and  presented  plans  for  the  first 
public  bath  and  two  underground  public  comfort  stations,  with  the 
accompanying  recommendations  of  the  Committee.  The  entire 
Committee  was  present,  and,  in  addition,  Messrs.  Cady  and  Berg, 
The  Commissioner  accepted  the  plans  and  arranged  that  the  Com- 
mittee, with  the  architects,  should  meet  the  Board  of  Estimate  and 
Apportionment  at  the  Mayor's  offtce  the  following  morning,  May 
19,  at  II  o'clock.  Agreeable  to  that  request,  the  Mayor's  Com- 
mittee, with  the  architects,  met  at  the  Mayor's  oflfice,  and  were  re- 
quested by  him  to  accompany  him  to  the  Comptroller's  office,  as 
the  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Estimate  and  Apportionment  would 
be  held  there.  The  Committee  was  informed  by  the  Comptroller 
that  the  Board  had  so  much  business  which  they  must  discuss  that 
it  would  be  impossible  to  reach  any  consideration  of  the  plans  for 
a  public  bath  and  public  comfort  stations  at  that  meeting. 

The  following  report  was  submitted  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  request  of  Commissioner  Collis  for  plans  and 
specifications: 

New  York,  May  18,  1896. 
Commissioner  C.  H.  T.  Collis, 

Commissioner  of  Public  Works. 

My  Dear  Sir: — In  accordance  with  your  request  of  April  22d, 
for  plans  and  recommendations  for  a  public  bath,  the  Mayor's 
Committee  would  most  respectfully  recommend  that  the  first  pub- 
lic bath  be  built  in  Tompkins  Square,  and  that  two  underground 
public  comfort  stations  be  built,  one  in  the  City  Hall  Park,  at  the 
corner  of  Mail  Street  and  Park  Row,  and  the  other  in  Greeley 
Square,  at  the  junction  of  Broadway  and  Sixth  Avenue  and  Thirty- 
second  Street. 

For  these  we  herewith  present  four  sets  of  plans  which  have 
been  prepared  by  IMessrs.  Cady,  Berg  &  See,  under  the  guidance  of 
and  after  constant  consultations  with  the  Committee,  and  we  further 


170  MAYOR'S    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 

recommend  that  jMessrs.  Cady,  Berg  &  See  be  appointed  the  archi- 
tects and  engineers  to  carry  out  these  structures. 

The  following  list  of  accommodations  to  be  provided  and  a 
description  of  the  plan  is  most  respectfully  submitted. 

Free   Public    Bath. 
The  accommodations  in  this  building  are  for  bathers,   as 
follows: 

A  waiting-room  for  men  and  boys,  with  seats  for  more  than 
one  hundred;  also  a  waiting-room  for  women,  with  seats  for  over 
fifty. 

In  the  men's  baths  there  are  on  the  main  floor  twenty-eight 
rain  baths,  and  fourteen  more  rain  baths  on  the  second  floor,  where 
there  are  also  ten  tub  baths  for  men,  while  there  are  on  the  main 
floor  seventeen  rain  baths  for  boys,  making  in  all  sixty-nine  baths 
for  men  and  boys. 

The  plan  is  so  arranged  that  the  proportions  of  boys'  and  men's 
baths  can  be  reversed  at  times  when  most  men  are  at  work  and 
public  schools  are  not  in  session. 

The  provisions  for  women  are  seventeen  rain  baths  on  the  main 
floor,  and  ten  tub  baths  on  the  second  floor,  making  in  all  twenty- 
seven  baths.    The  object  of  providing  some  tub  baths  is  for  such 
women  and  men  as  cannot  stand  showers.    This  number  of  baths 
-  should  readily  provide  for  more  than  one  million  bathers  a  year. 

In  connection  with  these  baths  will  be  built  the  necessary  laun- 
dry conveniences  for  washing  towels,  also  the  engineering  depart- 
ment for  providing  the  steam,  hot  water,  electric  lighting,  and  for 
running  the  ventilation. 

All  the  baths  (except  those  with  bathtubs)  will  have  dressing- 
rooms  in  front  so  arranged  that  the  clothing  cannot  be  wetted  while 
bathing,  while  the  bath,  or  rear  compartments,  will  have  either 
"rain"  showers  or  "ring"  showers  (the  latter  arranged  not  to  strike 
the  head,  and  preferred  generally  by  women). 
Foot  In  each  bath  floor  will  be  sunk  a  marble  foot  bath.    Each  set 

Baths.  of  compartments  will  be  arranged  to  drain  separately  and  to  pre- 

vent the  water  from  splashing  from  one  bathroom  into  adjoining 
compartments  or  bathrooms;  this  for  cleanliness  as  well  as  hygienic 
reasons. 

The  partitions  of  the  compartments  will  be  composed  of  heavy 
rolled  glass,  with  wire  bedded  in  it,  the  necessary  metal  parts  being 
painted  Avith  enamel  paint. 

The  doors  will  be  of  light  metal,  painted  with  enamel  paint. 


KECOMMENDATIONS   Ol'   'I'lli;    MAVollS    (JO.M  M  I'l  li:]:.       171 

At  the  foot  of  the  glass  partitions  will  be  enamelled  wirework 
in  slate  frames,  to  promote  thorough  ventilation;  the  tops  of  the 
compartments  will  be  covered  with  heavy  enamelled  wire  work  to 
prevent  thieving.  Hie  scats  and  ail  similar  parts  are  made  movable 
for  cleanliness. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  the  floors  of  the  baths,  throughout  the 
main  floor,  are  on  solid  masonry.  This  is  done  to  avoid  cracking 
due  to  the  expansion  and  contraction  of  iron  beams,  which  would 
otherwise  take  place. 

Having  solid  masonry  for  a  foundation,  vitrified  tile  can  be 
used  for  a  flooring,  without  any  danger  of  cracking  or  opening  of 
joints. 

Then,  too,  these  masonry  foundations  furnish  a  series  of  brick 
passages,  which  will  be  utilized  for  plumbing  pipes  and  for  ventila- 
tion system. 

In  connection  with  each  set  of  baths,  there  will  be  ample  con- 
veniences in  the  way  of  water-closets,  urinals,  washbasins,  etc.,  for 
men,  women  and  boys. 


The  administration  parts  of  the  building  consist  of  the  engine 
and  boiler  rooms,  which  are  placed  in  the  basement,  and  from 
which,  by  means  of  the  brick  passages,  the  engineer  can  readily 
control  all  of  the  main  lines  of  plumbing,  as  well  as  the  heating  and 
ventilating  apparatus  and  air  ducts. 

The  laundry  is  placed  on  the  second  floor,  where  the  best 
light  and  air  will  be  obtained. 

A  circular  ofHce  is  built  in  the  main  waiting-room  in  connec- 
tion with  the  partition  dividing  the  male  and  female  waiting-rooms 
(office  and  partition  similar  to  those  enclosing  banking-rooms,  and 
about  seven  feet  six  inches  high,  of  glass  and  iron).  This  office  is 
so  located  that  one  person  can  control  both  of  the  main  entrances 
(male  and  female),  and  all  of  the  entrances  to  the  various  baths, 
staircases,  etc. 

No  one  can  enter  or  leave  the  building  without  being  seen  from 
here,  excepting,  of  course,  those  using  the  public  comfort  stations 
and  the  public  laundry. 


Adminis- 
tration. 


The  plan  has  been  drawn  with  a  view  of  entirely  separating 
males  from  females  the  moment  they  enter  the  building. 

The  plan  arranges  this  not  only  for  the  bathers,  but  also  for  all 
employes.  No  person  in  any  part  where  there  are  females  (whether 
bathers  or  employes)  can  go  to  any  part  where  there  are  males,  or 


Separation 
of  Males 
and 
Females. 


172 


MAYOR'S    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 


vice  versa,    without  passing  througli  the  central  controlling  office 
on  tlie  main  floor. 


Control  of 
Bathers. 


In, order  to  avoid  too  many  attendants,  we  think  it  will  be  nec- 
essary to  allow^  each  bather,  excepting  those  in  bathtubs,  to  con- 
trol his  own  hot  and  cold  water  faucets  so  far  as  the  degree  of  heat 
is  concerned.  In  each  case,  however,  the  piping  and  faucets  would 
be  so  arranged  that  under  no  possible  conditions  could  a  bather 
scald  himself. 

This  can  be  readily  and  economically  accomplished  by  using 
the  well-known  German  Gegenstrom  System  of  heating  the  water. 
In  this  system  no  steam  is  wasted,  but  only  the  actual  amount 
needed  to  heat  the  water  while  in  use  is  consumed. 

Outside  of  each  bath,  however,  will  be  placed  cocks  under  the 
control  of  the  attendant,  to  shut  off  entirely  the  supply,  both  hot 
and  cold,  in  case  a  bather  attempts  to  overstay  his  time  limit  when 
the  baths  are  crowded.  In  the  case  of  the  tubs,  the  attendant  will 
control  the  quantity  and  temperature  in  order  to  avoid  waste  of 
water. 


Heating  The  heating  and  ventilating  will  be  in  general  on  the  principle 

and  of  drawing  down  fresh  air  through  the  large  fresh  air  shafts  (which 

Ventilating,  would  be  built  up  high  above  any  other  part  of  the  structure),  by 
means  of  fansi  and  electric  motors,  regulating  its  temperature  by 
blowing  through  plenums  with  steam  coils  under  the  control  of 
the  engineer,  and  then  forcing  it  to  the  various  parts  of  the  building, 
in  general  blowing  it  in  at  a  height  of  about  five  feet  above  the 
floor  and  so  arranged  as  to  avoid  all  draughts. 

The  exhaust  would  be  in  branch  exhaust  ducts  provided  for  that 
purpose,  the  branches  all  connecting  to  the  large  exhaust  duct  in 
the  roof,  where  a  fan  and  motor  would  exhaust  the  air  and  blow 
it  out  of  doors.  In  winter  the  exhaust  fan  would  not  be  used,  but 
the  air  allowed  to  escape  by  natural  means,  using  only  the  inlet  fans 
to  force  in  the  fresh  air. 

All  of  these  ducts,  as  well  as  the  ceiling  lights  and  skylights, 
would  be  controlled  by  electricity  from  the  engine-room,  with 
locking  dampers,  to  prevent  unequal  supplies  of  air  or  unnecessary 
exhaust  of  same.  Speaking  tubes  from  all  parts  to  the  engine-room 
will  give  the  engineer  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  wants  of  the 
building  at  all  times. 


Design. 


The  design  of  the  interior*  has  been  planned  to  make  the  wait- 


Cottage  Baths,  Brighton  (England).  It  is  the  plan  that  a  large  number  of 
small  baths  shall  be  located  in  the  industrial  quarters,  instead  of  the  erection  of 
one  large  bathing  establishment. 


Co/'.vc/^/i/.  iSg~,  ^y  the  Mayor's  Ccmmittce. 

Among  the  recommendations  of  the  Committee  is  the  duplication  or  exten- 
sion of  the  Public  Comfort  Stations  in  the  Parks.  The  extensions  should  be  in 
the  shape  of  chalets  or  other  ornamiental  buildings. 


RECOMMENDATIONS   OK  'I'HI']   MAVOIfS   COMMITTEK.       IT.'. 

ing-rooms,  as  well  as  the  main  bathing  iuills  very  cheerful,  and  with 
an  abundance  of  light.  Everything  will  be  carried  out  with  a  view 
to  the  avoidance  of  dust  or  dirt,  and  so  arranged  that  any  part  can 
be  hosed  out  thoroughly  at  any  time. 

The  exterior  is  in  the  style  kntnvn  as  Italian,  and  has  been 
made  very  simple  and  dignified.  Ihis  style  has  been  selected  so  as 
to  be  able  to  keep  the  byilding  as  low  as  possible,  making  it  unob- 
trusive and  not  obstmcting  the  sunshine  and  air  of  the  park.  It, 
however,  will  have  sufiicient  dignity  and  massiveness  not  to  ap- 
pear insignificant  or  trivial  in  comparison  with  the  higher  buildings 
on  the  avenue. 

The  material  should  preferably  be  of  light  stone,  as  this  at 
once  suggests  the  idea  of  purity  and  cleanliness,  and  accords  well 
with  the  style  chosen,  best  bringing  out  its  lines  and  detail. 

The  piazzas  running  along  each  side  form  a  connection  between 
the  designs  of  the  ends,  and  atf  the  same  time  give  a  shady  place 
for  settees,  where  people  can  rest;  while  at  the  end  of  the  piazza 
drinking  fountains  for  public  convenience  will  be  provided. 

The  bathhouse  will  be  least  obstructive  in  the  park  by  placing 
it  on  the  center  of  the  east  side  of  Tompkins  Park,  immediately  ad- 
joining Avenue  B.  The  entrances  for  men  and  boys,  that  is,  to 
the  baths  and  to  the  men's  public  comfort  station,  would  be  from 
the  Avenue.  Those  for  women,  to  the  baths,  laundrv^  and  public 
comfort  station,  would  be  from  the  park  side,  the  approaches  so 
arranged  as  to  be  screened  by  shrubbery. 

Respectfully  submitted  on  behalf  of  the  Committee, 
(Signed)  WM.  H.  TOLMAN, 

Secretar}\ 

When  it  became  known  that  the  Com- 
mittee proposed  to  locate  the  first  bath  in  Tompkins  Square,  a  gen- 
eral protest  was  made,  on  behalf  of  the  inhabitants  of  that  part  of 
the  city.  It  was  claimed  that  the  park  space  was  altogether  too 
small  as  it  was,  and  that  it  would  be  a  serious  loss  to  invade  the 
park  by  the  location  of  a  building  devoted  to  public  purposes.  The 
protest  was  so  strong,  and  the  points  so  well  taken,  that,  after  a 
conference  wth  the  Mayor,  it  was  decided  to  withdraw  all  recom- 
mendations for  the  location  of  a  bath  in  Tompkins  Square.  The 
Committee  pointed  out  to  His  Honor  the  ]\Iayor  that  it  was 
compulsory  to  indicate  some  park  for  the  location  of  the  bath,  as 
no  latitude  for  a  choice  was  given  by  the  mandatory  law  on  public 
baths. 


Location. 


174  MAYOR'S    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 

In  justice  to  his  Honor,  the  Committee 
should  state  that  the  law  on  public  baths  being  mandatory,  it  was 
necessary  to  select  some  park,  and  Tompkins  Square  seemed  the 
most  desirable. 

The  proposed  building  for  Tompkins 
Square  would  have  provided  for  more  than  a  bath,  as  it  contem- 
plated a  public  laundr}^  and  a  public  comfort  station.  From  a  de- 
scription of  the  plans  and  the  front  elevation,  it  will  be  noted  that 
such  a  building  would  have  been  an  architectural  addition  to  any 
city  as  well  as  serving  the  special  object  for  which  it  was  designed. 

The  law  being  mandatory  with  reference 
to  the  location  of  baths  in  the  public  parks  only,  and  as  there  was 
no  public  park  in  which  a  bath  could  be  constructed  that  would 
meet  the  wants  of  that  portion  of  the  tenement-house  population 
for  which  these  baths  were  eminently  intended,  it  was  seen  that  no 
further  action  could  be  taken  without  additional  legislation,  which 
would  allow  the  purchase  of  property  by  the  city  or  the  securing  of 
proper  locations  by  condemnation  proceedings. 

Plans  for    Underground  Public    Comfort  Staiions. 

The  Committee  has  given  the  subject  of 
lavatories  or  places  of  public  comfort  much  thought,  and  the 
Chairman  of  the  Committee  has  made  personal  study  and  inspec- 
tion of  the  lavatory  systems  of  the  cities  of  Europe  and  England. 
It  is  firmly  believed  that  when  the  American  public  are  conversant 
with  the  latest  practice  on  the  subject  they  will  not  be  behind 
Europe  in  their  introduction,  especially  as  it  is  contrary  to'  law  for 
the  public  servants  of  the  city  to  frequent,  while  on  duty,  drinking 
places,  about  the  only  places  now  providing  conveniences  for  public 
comfort. 

In  our  opinion  the  most  approved  system 
is  the  underground  "latrines"  as  now  adopted  by  the  City  of  Lon- 
don; they  are  clean,  inodorous,  hidden  from  view,  and  attractive, 
and  frequented  by  all  ranks  of  society,  and  are  provided  for  both 
men  and  women  in  separate  places.  It  is  customary  to  make  a 
charge  of  a  penny  for  the  use  of  the  closets,  and  two  pence  for  the 
use  of  towels  and  soap  in  the  lavatories,  the  urinals  being  free. 
With  the  small  charge  these  places  are  quite  self-supporting,  and 
your  Committee  asks  that  the  experimental  places  suggested  may 
be  carried  on  in  all  particulars  as  far  as  possible  as  are  those  in  Lon- 
don in  the  matter  of  management. 


RECOMMENDATIONS  OF  THE  MAYOR'S  COMMITTEE.      175 

The  report  oi  the  City  of  London  Com- 
missioners of  Sewers  shows  the  working"  of  ten  cstabHshmcnts  in 
the  small  area  of  the  City  of  London,  which  has  a  day  population 
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176 


MAYOR'S    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 


Since  then  latrines  have  been  opened  at 
Crutched  Friars,  Aldgate,  BiUingsgate  Alarket  and  Cannon  Street, 
all  in  the  city  area.    The  last  named  latrine  cost  ^2389. 

It  appears  from  the  latest  published  re- 
turns that  the  receipts  and  expenditures  for  three  years  ending 
December,  1892,  when  nine  conveniences  only  were  in  use,  were  as 
follows : 

Receipts    ^6,752 

Expenditures    (including    gas,    wages, 

water,  repairs,  etc.) ^6,9/^4 


Under- 
ground 
Latrines. 


It  will  be  seen  that  these  conveniences  are 
almost  self-supporting,  and  it  is  hoped  in  the  course  of  time  that 
they  will  become  a  source  of  profit,  besides  paying  interest  on 
capital  outlay. 

Another  great  advantage  of  these  under- 
ground latrines  is  that  the  old-fashioned  and  unsightly  conven- 
iences are  gradually  disappearing  from  the  streets.  In  addition  to 
water-closet  accommodations  these  conveniences  provide  free 
urinals.  It  is  estimated  that  9,000,000  use  the  urinals  per  annum, 
and  697,300  the  water-closets.  Their  economy,  efficiency  and  util- 
ity, must  therefore  be  manifest,  and  the  Commissioners'  efforts  fully 
appreciated. 

Your  Committee  suggests  that  two  under- 
ground places  of  public  comfort  be  built;  one  at  the  south  end 
of  the  City  Hall  Park,  and  one  at  the  small  park  between  Broad- 
way and  Sixth  Avenue,  and  between  Thirty-second  and  Thirty- 
third  Streets. 

These  will  serve  as  object  lessons.  If  as 
successful  as  those  in  London,  we  believe  many  more  will  be  built 
in  other  locations,  as  necessity  may  suggest,  being  almost  hidden 
from  view,  light,  clean  and  thoroughly  ventilated  and,  if  cared  for  as 
they  are  in  London,  they  will  soon  commend  themselves  to  the 
common  sense  of  the  public. 

To  meet  the  wants  of  the  public  where 
underground  places  may  not  be  available,  the  Committee  presents 
plans  for  urinals  with  self-flushing  apparatus,  to  be  placed  on 
properties  belonging  to  the  city,  or  which  may  be  acquired  for  the 
purpose,  but  most  earnestly  recommends  that  the  underground 
places  of  public  comfort  be  used  wherever  practicable,  to  the  ex- 
clusion of  all  other  kinds.    Experience  demonstrates  that  it  takes 


RECOMMENDATIONS  OF  THE  MAYOR'S  COMMITTEJ:.      177 

some  small  time  before  these  places  are  fully  appreciated  by  the 
public,  but  it  is  merely  a  question  of  time. 

With  the  exception  of  the  provisions  made 
by  the  saloons  in  New  York  City  there  is  practically  no  provision      „    . 
for  public  comfort  stations  outside  of  the  few  shelters  in  the  public     shelters. 
parks. 

July  ID,  1895,  a  formal  request  was  made 
to  the  Committee  by  the  Board  of  Health,  in  accordance  with  the 
following  resolution: 

"That  the  Committee  appointed  by  His 
Honor  the  Mayor, on  Public  Baths,  Lavatories,  etc.,  be  and  is  hereby 
requested  to  prepare  plans  for  public  lavatories  and  water-closets 
in  the  streets  and  public  places  in  this  city  for  the  accommodation 
of  women  as  well  as  men,  and  for  additional  accommodations  in 
the  public  parks." 

The  Committee  at  once  instructed  the 
architects  to  prepare  plans  and  studies  for  underground  public 
comfort  stations,  as  well  as  those  to  be  located  under  the  elevated 
stations  and  ^vithin  the  area  line  of  buildings  on  the  sidewalk.  The 
plans  were  submitted  and,  after  a  conference  with  President  Wilson, 
several  changes  were  made  in  order  that  his  ideas  might  be  embod- 
ied. The  Board  of  Health  referred  the  matter  to  al  special  com- 
mittee, which  in  turn  reported  to  the  Board,  and  October  2,  1895, 
the  following  communication  was  received: 

William  Howe  Tolman,  Ph.  D., 

Secretary,  105  East  Tw^enty-second  Street,  New  York. 

Sir: — At  a  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Health  of  the  Health  De- 
partment, held  October  ist,  1895,  the  following  resolutions  were 
adopted: 

Resolved,  That  this  Board  approves  of  the  report  submitted  by 
the  Mayor's  Committee  on  Public  Baths,  Water-closets  and  Uri- 
nals, and  the  accompanying  plans  made  by  Cady,  Berg  &  See,  Plans 
architects  and  engineers,  and  recommends  that  the  President  ap-  Approved. 
point  a  committee  of  one  from  this  Board  to  obtain  the  necessarv^ 
funds,  and  to  procure  one  hundred  of  these  stations  at  once,  and 
to  select  and  lease  the  necessar}'  sites. 

Resolved.  That  the  Mayor's  Committee  be  requested  to  submit 
the  necessary  working  drawings,  specifications  and  estimates  for 
one  hundred  such  stations. 

Resolved,  That  the  Secretar\-  of  this  Board  communicate  \\nth 
the  Board  of  Commissioners  of  Public  Parks  and  request  them  to 


178  MAYORS    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 

co-operate  with  the  Aiayor's  Committee  and  this  Board  in  carrying 
out  the  suggestions  contained  in  the  report,  relating  to  stations  in 
the  smaller  and  larger  parks. 

Resolved,  That  Commissioner  George  B.  Fowler  be  and  is 
hereby  appointed  a  committee  of  one,  under  the  above  resolution, 
to  represent  this  Board. 

(Signed)  EMMONS  CLARK, 

Secretary, 
A  True  Copy. 

Commissioner  Fowler  manifested  his 
great  interest  in  the  matter  by  meeting  with  the  Committee  and 
frequent  consultations  with  the  architects,  in  order  that  the  whole 
matter  might  receive  careful  attention.  The  Committee  was  par- 
ticularly anxious  to  make  provisions  for  the  comfort  of  public 
servants,  especially  the  policemen,  when  early  in  October  the  Sec- 
retar}^  was  authorized  to  present  to  Commissioner  Roosevelt  the 
following  statement: 

It  is  proposed  ultimately  to  establish  on  each  policeman's  post 
a  station  containing  a  water-closet  and  urinal.  For  the  immediate 
present,  however,  only  one  hundred  of  these  stations  vwll  be  put  in 
various  parts  of  the  city,  experimentally. 
Experiment  The  stations  will  be  built  of  iron,  roofed  over,  and  so  arranged 
Stations,  that  where  placed  against  the  side  walls  of  buildings  no  part  of  the 
interior  can  be  seen  from  the  windows  or  any  part  of  the  house. 
They  will  be  entered  from  the  street  side.  Where  they  cannot  be 
placed  against  houses,  they  will  be  placed  on  street  corners  of  wide 
streets  or  under  elevated  railroad  stairs.  The  height  from  sidewalk 
to  top  of  cornice  in  each  case  will  be  eight  feet  six  inches.  The 
width  of  each  station — or  the  projection  out  from  the  house — will 
be  four  feet.  The  length  of  each  station  or  the  part  coming  against 
the  brick  wall  of  the  house,  will  be  six  feet  ten  inches,  where  the 
station  contains  both  a  water-closet  and  a  urinal,  or  four  feet  four 
inches  where  it  contains  a  urinal  or  water-closet  only. 

The  stations  will  be  so  arranged  that  they  cannot  possibly  be- 
come a  nuisance  to  property  owners.  Where  stations  are  placed 
against  the  brick  walls  of  houses,  inside  of  the  area  line,  the  City 
would  pay  a  moderate  rental.  Where  the  owner  of  the  property 
would  be  willing  also  to  keep  the  station  clean,  the  City  would  pay 
an  additional  amount  for  such  service.  Each  roundsman  should  as- 
Available  certain- 
Sites.  First.    How  many  available  sites  there  are  on  his  post  where 


RlflCOMMlONUATIONS  OK  Till':   MAYOlfS   COMMITTEE.      170 

a  combined  waLcr-cluscl  and  urinal  station  (six  feet  ten  inches  long; 
could  be  placed  against  a  house,  inside  of  the  area  line,  where  the 
landlord  would  not  object.  He  also  should  report  with  the  site  the 
annual  rent  demanded,  and  whether  the  landlord  is  willing  to  keep 
the  station  clean  and  tiie  annual  cost  thereof. 

Second.  Report  similarly  available  sites  for  urinal  stations  only 
(four  feet  four  inches  long),  yearly  rent  demanded,  and  if  willing  to 
keep  same  clean,  yearly  compensation  for  such  service. 

Third.  Report  available  street  corners  where  a  combined 
water-closet  and  urinal  station  (four  feet  wide  by  six  feet  ten  inches 
long),  placed  near  the  curb,  would  not  obstruct  pedestrians. 

Fourth.  Report  available  street  corners  where  urinal  stations 
only  (four  feet  wide  and  four  feet  four  inches  long)  could  be  placed 
near  the  curb  without  obstructing  pedestrians. 

Fifth.  Report  all  available  sites  where  combined  water-closet 
and  urinal  station  (four  feet  wide  and  six  feet  ten  inches  long,  eight 
feet  six  inches  high)  can  be  placed  under  elevated  railroad  stairs. 

October  8,  the  Committee,  in  compliance 
with  the  resolution  of  the  Board  of  Health,  passed  at  the  meeting 
on  October  i,  accepting  their  report  and  plans,  requested  Messrs. 
Cady,  Berg  &  See  to  prepare  the  necessary  working  drawings  and 
specifications  for  each  of  the  four  varieties  of  public  comfort 
stations  called  for  by  the  Board  of  Health. 

April  22,  1895,  a  conference  was  called  by 
Mayor  Strong  between  the  Committee  and  the  Commissioner  of 
Public  Works,  to  whom  the  building  of  the  public  comfort  stations 
was  entrusted,  in  accordance  with  the  last  law.  General  Collis  ex- 
pressed himself  as  satisfied  with  the  studies  of  the  Committee,  and  Conference. 
signified  his  willingness  to  avail  himself  of  the  services  of  the  Com- 
mitee's  architects,  and  requested  the  necessary  recommendations, 
in  order  that  he  in  turn  could  secure  the  necessary  authorization 
from  the  Board  of  Estimate  and  x\pportionment. 

May  18  the  plans  and  studies  were  sub- 
mitted to  the  Commissioner  at  his  oflfice,  at  which  meeting  the  plans 
were  accepted  by  him. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Estimate 
held  in  July  the  plans  were  subjected  to  a  criticism  by  Commis- 
sioner Styles,  of  the  Park  Department  and,  on  motion  of  the 
Comptroller,  the  whole  matter  of  underground  public  comfort 
stations  was  referred  to  the  Parks  Department,  with  a  request  that 
they  should  report  to  the  Board  of  Estimate. 


ISO  MAYOR'S    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 

In  connection  with  the  building  for  the 
proposed  bath  in  Tompkins  Square,  provisions  would  have  been 
made  for  two  wings,  one  containing  sixteen  water-closets,  twenty 
urinals  and  three  washbasins  for  men,  and  the  other,  fourteen  water- 
closets  and  four  washbasins  for  women. 

In  the  recommended  underground  public 
comfort  stations,  one  in  the  City  Hall  Park,  the  other  in  the  small 
Greeley  park  in  Greeley  Square,  the  plans  submitted  provide  for  making 
Square,  these  stations  of  masonry  so  far  as  practicable.  The  ceilings  to  be 
entirely  of  mason  work,  so  as  to  avoid  the  expansion  and  contrac- 
tion of  iron  beams,  and  the  consequent  possibility  of  dampness  and 
leaks. 

The  ceilings  of  these  stations  will  be  kept 
well  down,  as  shown  on  the  sections,  so  as  to  leave  sufficient  height 
above  to  fill  in  with  earth  and  loam,  so  as  to  be  able  to  retain  the 
appearance  of  the  park,  and  not  lose  any  of  the  verdure  or  breathing 
space  now  existing.  Each  station  will,  of  course,  be  made  thor- 
oughly damp-proof  and  watertight.  The  entrances  for  men  and 
women  will  be  located  at  opposite  points  of  the  parks  as  shown  on 
the  plan,  and  wall  be  screened  by  shrubbery  and  ornamental  iron 
railings,  which  will  also  run  around  the  park. 

The  ventilation  will  be  by  means  of  elec- 
tric exhaust  fans,  which  will  draw  the  air  from  every  water-closet 
bowl,  as  well  as  from  over  every  water-closet  and  urinal.  It  is  then 
blown  out  through  an  ornamental  shaft,  on  top  of  which  an  electric 
light  will  be  placed. 

In  connection  with  this  station  will  be  a 
room  for  the  male  and  female  attendant,  also  rooms  for  coal  and 
heating  apparatus.  Where  the  sewer  level  would  be  above  the 
plumbing  fixtures,  these  will  discharge  into  a  tight  cesspool  sunk 
below  the  floor,  and  the  matter  in  the  latter  will  be  pumped  out  and 
into  the  sewer  at  regular  intervals.  A  small  electric  pump  will  be 
provided  for  this  purpose. 

The  walls,  like  those  in  the  bathhouses, 
will  be  of  light  glazed  brick,  the  partitions  of  water-closets  similar 
to  those  of  the  baths,  all  wired  glass,  and  all  arranged  to  avoid  dust 
and  to  give  the  utmost  light  and  cleanliness  to  the  place. 

It  should  be  stated  that  this  wired  glass 
is  sufficiently  opaque  to  provide  proper  privacy. 


-±n 


1 


CHAT'I'ICR    Xlir. 

I'.IIILIOGRAPIIV. 

Aachen  (Germany). — Public  i'aths.  "Aix-la-Cliai>elle  and  Envi- 
rons," pp.  33-35. 

Aachen  (Germany),  SUidlbauamt  Abteilung  Hochbau. — Letter  and 
matter  regarding  public  baths,  etc.,  December  10,  1895. 

AUsop,  Robert  Owen. — Public  Baths  and  Washhouses.  98  pp.  ill., 
London,  1894. 

Altona  (Germany). — Tariff,  description  (with  plans)  and  tickets  of 
Altona  Baths. 

Altona  (Germany),  Magistrat  der  Stadt. — Letter  regarding  baths 
and  lavatories,  March  12,  1896. 

Amateur  Swimming  Association  (England). — Form  of  Application 
for  Championship  Competition. 

Amateur  Swimming  Association  (England). — Swims  and  Swim- 
mers; notes  on  the  Association's  meetings,  etc.,  from  London 
paper. 

Amateur  Swimming  Club  (London,  England). — Rules,  Fixtures 
and  Programme  of  the  Twenty-eighth  Annual  Costume  En- 
tertainment, Monday,  October  21,  1895;  also  letter  from  A. 
C.  Parker,  Hon.  Sec,  April  2,  1896,  giving  information  as  to 
accommodation  usually  provided  for  swimming  clubs. 

Baruch,  Simon,  M.  D. — A  Plea  for  Public  Baths,  with  an  inex- 
pensive method  for  their  hygienic  utilization.  45  pp.  ill.;  re- 
printed from  "Dietetic  Gazette,''  May,  1891. 

Baruch,  Simon,  M.  D. — Letter  criticizing  the  Committee's  report 
as  to  a  large  bathhouse  and  the  introduction  of  tubs. 

Berlin  (Germany). — Die  Stadtische  Volksbadeanstalt  in  Moabit. 
See  "Festschrift  zur  XXXV  Hauptversammlung  des  Deut- 
scher  Ingenieure,"  Berlin,  1894. 

Berlin  (Germany),*  Magistrat  hiesiger  Koniglichen  Haupt-  und 
Residenzstadt. — Letter  regarding  Public  Bath  and  Lavatories, 
February  18,  1896;  also  reports  on  the  City  Baths,  1893-4  and 

1894-5. 
Berlin  (Gemiany). — Oel  pissoir  von  Beetz.     "Technische  Mitthei- 

lungen  und  Anzeigen,"  Xovember  i,  1895. 
Berlin  (Gemiany). — Tariflf,  blank  reports,  etc.,  of  the  Berlin  Public 

Baths. 


182  MAYOR'S    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 

Berlin  (Germany). — Ueber  Anlage  und  Betrieb  von  Bediirfniss- 
rVnstalten  fiir  Manner  und  Frauen,  with  plans;  also  Oelver- 
schliisse  bei  Pissoiren ;  both  by  Rudolf  Protz,  Sub-Director  of 
the  Berlin  Public  Lavatories;  together  with  detailed  estimates 
of  cost  of  Berlin  conveniences  and  urinals,  and  poster. 

Birming-ham  (England),  Baths  Department. — Letters  from  Super- 
intendent and  Engineer,  J.  Cox,  regarding  public  baths,  Jan- 
uary 21,  June  20  and  September  30,  1896. 

Birmingham  (England). — Biographical  Sketch  of  Mr.  Job  Cox, 
Superintendent  of  the  Corporation  Baths;  with  portrait.  Bir- 
mingham "Owl,"  January  10,  1896. 

Birmingham  (England)  Boroilgh  of. — ^Public  Baths  and  Open 
Bathing  Places ;  by-laws  for  their  management,  use  and  regu- 
lation.    1885. 

Birmingham  (England),  City  of. — Corporation  Baths;  details  and 
particulars  of  the  several  bathing  establishments,  1894;  rules 
for  the  baths.    Title  page  of  report,  January,  1896. 

Birmingham  (England),  City  oi — Corporation  Baths;  with  inter- 
ior photograph  of  the  oldest  bathing  institution.  Birming- 
ham "Faces  and  Places,"  1893;  pp.  40  and  43-45. 

Blomfield  House  Swimming  Club  (London,  England). — Pro- 
gramme of  Annual  Costume  Entertainment,  Monday,  Octo- 
ber 28,  1895. 

Bootle  (England),  Borough  of. — Public  Baths  and  Gymnasium; 
Annual  Reports,  sixth  and  seventh,  1894  and  1895;  also  time 
and  price  of  admission  for  classes.  Letter  from  J.  Farmer, 
Town  Clerk,  January  20,  1896,  regarding  work. 

Boston,  City  Council. — References  to  Public  Baths.  Inaugural  ad- 
dress by  Josiah  Quincy,  Mayor;  p.  36. 

Boston,  City  of.  Department  of  Parks. — Elevation  of  Bath  House 
in  Marine  Park.  Twentieth  Annual  Report  of  the  Board  of 
Commissioners,  for  the  year  ending  January  31,  1895. 

Boston  (Mass.). — Letter  from  John  Mullaly,  Superintendent  Bath 
House,  West  Boston  Bridge,  September,  1896,  and  letter  from 
Samuel  F.  Hubbard,  Superintendent  North  End  Union,  Au- 
gust 7,  1896,  re  Baths  in  a  Boston  Public  School. 

Boston  (Mass.). — Report  on  Bathhouses  for  1895.  Twenty-fourth 
Annual  Report  of  the  Health  Department,  for  the  year' 1895. 

Bradford  (England),  Borough  of. — Baths  and  Washhouses.  Re- 
port of  the  Committees  of  the  Council,  1894;  pp.  83-85. 

Breslau  (Germany),  Magistrat  der  Koniglichen  Haupt-  und  Resi- 
denzstadt. — Letter  and  matter  regarding  public  baths,  etc., 


BIBLIOGRAPHY.  188 

November  20,  1895;  also  returns  for  1894  and  1895;  rules, 
time  and  instructions  to  attendants. 

Brighton  (England),  Jiorougli  of. — Public  liatbs;  by-laws  for  their 
management,  use  and  regulation,  1874;  also  statistics  of  cot- 
tage baths,  and  letter  frf)ni  W.  Boiling,  ex-Mayor,  in  refer- 
ence to  cottage  baths,  September  22,  1896. 

Brighton  (England). — Letter  regarding  Public  Baths  from  F.  J. 
Tillstonc,  Town  Clerk,  March  24,  1896. 

Brockton  (Mass.). — Letter  from  William  S.  Bamford;  September  4, 
1896. 

Brookline  (Mass.). — Baths,  Bathing  and  Swimming  for  Soldiers; 
by  H.  Lincoln  Chase,  Assistant  Surgeon  Massachusetts  Vol- 
unteer Regiment.  (Reprinted  from  the  Boston  "Medical  and 
Surgical  Journal"  of  August  27  and  September  3,  1896.)  Also 
letters  from  Mr.  Chase;  September  26,  October  29  and  Novem- 
ber 24,  1896. 

Brookline  (Mass.),  Special  Committee. — Report  on  Improved  Pub- 
lic Bathing  Facilities;  October  24,  1895  >  circular  of  opening  of 
ibaths,  December  28,  1896. 

Brunswick  (Germany),  Der  Stadt  Magistrat. — Letter  regarding 
Public  Baths,  etc.,  November  26,  1895.  Number  of  baths, 
charges,  etc. 

Budapest  (Hungary). — Book,  pamphlet,  letter,  etc.,  regarding  Pub- 
lic Baths;  December,  1895. 

Buflfalo  (N.  Y.).— The  Buffalo  Free  Bath.  The  "Engineering 
Record;"  September  19,  1896. 

Burnley  (England),  County  Borough  of. — Baths  manager's  report; 
March  25,  1893,  and  March  25,  1894.  Annual  Report,  14th, 
1893,  p.  61 ;  also  Annual  Report,  15th,  1895,  P-  63. 

Burnley  (England),  Count}^  Borough  of. — Letter  from  William  G. 
FuUalove,  Town  Clerk,  Tanuar\-  20,  1896,  regarding  work; 
also  Rules  and  Regulations  relating  to  Corporation  Baths, 
1895. 

Chemnitz  (Germany). — Letters  from  Biirgermeister  Gerber,  Feb- 
ruary 26,  1896  (with  date  of  first  bath,  number,  cost,  etc.,  of 
Public  Baths  and  Public  Lavatories),  and  July  21,  1896.  Also 
letter  from  Department  of  School  Aflfairs  as  to  school  baths, 
September  24,  1896. 

Chemnitz  (Germany). — Public  Baths.  "Bericht  der  Bauverw^al- 
tung,"  1888,  pp.  4,  6.  16,  and  19-22:  and  1890.  pp.  6.  18,  and 
19;  also  "Bericht  iiber  die  ^'erwaltung  und  den  Stand  der 
Gemeindeangelegenheiten,"  1894  and  1895. 


184  MAYOR'S    COMMITTEE    0\    PUBLIC    BATHS. 

Chemnitz  (Germany). — Reference  to  Public  Lavatories.  "Bericht 
der  Stadtbauvenvaltung,"  1888,  p.  7,  and  1890,  pp.  7  and  14. 

Chicago  (111.)- — Letter  from  Dr.  Gertrude  G.  Wellington,  Septem- 
ber 2,  1896;  letter  from  Joseph  Downey,  Commissioner  of 
Public  Works,  November  7,  1896. 

Chicopee  (Mass.),  Dwight  Manufacturing  Co. — Letters  from  Car- 
roll D.  Wright,  United  States  Commissioner  of  Labor,  and 
J.  W.  Cumnock,  Agent  Dwight  Manufacturing  Co.,  as  to  pro- 
visions made  for  baths;  September  9  and  15,  1896. 

Clarence  Swimming  Club  (London,  England). — Programme  of 
Fifth  Annual  Entertainment,  Thursday,  October  17,  1895. 

Coventry  (England),  City  of. — Public  Baths ;  by-laws  for  their  man- 
agement, use  and  regulation,  1893;  also  letter  from  Town  Clerk, 
Lewis  Beard,  regarding  baths;  January  20,  1896.. 

Croydon  (England),  County  Borough  of. — Baths  and  Additions. 
Abstract  of  Receipts  and  Expenditures,  1894;  p.  2.      1 

Croydon  (England. — Queries  and  replies  regarding  the  baths;  cir- 
culars of  time,  price,  etc.,  and  letters  from  Samuel  Jacob,  Town 
Clerk,  January  20,  1896,  and  E.  Mawdesley,  Town  Clerk,  Sep- 
tember 7,  1896. 

Dolphin  Swimming  Club  (London,  England). — Rules,  officers  and 
fixtures  for  season  1896;  also  letter  from  C.  W.  Horner,  Hon. 
Sec,  June  29,  1896. 

Donald,  Robert. — PubHc  Baths  and  Laundries.  "Outlook,"  Feb- 
ruary 15,  1896. 

Dresden  (Germany),  Rath. — Letter  on  Public  Baths  and  Lava- 
tories, February  13,  1896,  concerning  river  baths  and  pro- 
posed douche  baths,  public  and  private  lavatories. 

Eastbourne  (England). — Prospectus  of  the  Royal  Parade  Baths, 
Limited. 

Edinburgh  (Scotland),  City  of. — Corporation  Baths;  scale  of 
charges,  time,  and  various  kinds  of  admission  tickets;  also  de- 
posit and  other  tickets  for  washhouse  and  Rules  and  Regu- 
lations for  Baths  and  Washhouses. 

Essen  (Germany),  Die  Polizeiverwaltung. — Letter  and  matter  re- 
garding Public  Baths,  etc.,  November  9,  1895;  time  and  price 
of  baths. 

Fisk,  Harvey  E. — The  Introduction  of  Public  Rain  Baths  in  Amer- 
ica: a  Historical  Sketch.    "The  Sanitarian,"  June,  1896. 

Frankfort-on-Main  (Germany). — Letter  from  the  Mayor,  May  20, 
1896. 


lUIirJfXMtAl'Jl  V.  18B 

Gerhard,  William  Paul. — Sonic  ivcccnt  Public  "Rain"  Baths  in 
New  York  City. 

Glasgow  (Scotland),  City  of.-  Cori;onilioii  I'.allisaiid  VVashhouses; 
Reports  for  1891  and  1892. 

Glasgow  (Scotland). — Letter  frr^m  J.  Lang,  City  Chambers,  re- 
garding various  details  of  Public  J>atlis,  date  of  first  bath, 
number  of  baths,  etc.,  January  31,  1896;  also  letter  from  W. 
Thomson,  Superintendent  Corporation  Haths  and  Wash- 
houses,  with  statistics,  etc.,  of  public  baths,  February  10,  1896. 

Gothenberg  (Sweden). — Letter  from  Gustav  Svanberg,  Commis- 
sioner of  Trade,  Policy  and  Finance,  giving  date  of  first  bath, 
cost,  number,  etc.,  February  14,  1896. 

Gothenberg  (Sweden). — Statistical  abstract  of  the  baths  served  in 
the  Renstromska  Badanstalten;  average  operating  expenses 
of  the  same;  also  small  ground  plan,  tariff  of  baths,  tickets  and 
pamphlets  concerning  baths. 

Gottingen  (Germany). — Bade-Einrichtung  innerhalb  der  Volk- 
schulen  der  Stadt  Gottingen,  by  Oberbiirgermeister  Merkel; 
also  letter  from  Mayor,  July,  1896. 

Gottingen  (Germany). — Schulbader,  by  Oberbiirgermeister  Mer- 
kel.  Volks-  und  Schulbader,  Verhandlung  auf  der  dreizehnten 
Versammlung  des  "Deutschen  Vereins  fiir  oflfentlichen  Ge- 
sundheitspflege"  zu  Breslau  am  13  Sept.,  1896. 

Graz  (Austria),  Stadtrath. — Letter  regarding  public  baths,  etc., 
January,  1896. 

Halifax  (England). — Coi-poration  Baths:  List  of  charges  and 
hours  of  admission;  also  various  admission  tickets,  1894-5. 

Hamburg  (Germany). — Bade-  und  Waschanstalten.  ''Hamburg 
und  seine  Bauten,"  etc.;  pp.  214-231. 

Hamburg  (Germany),  Bau  Deputation,  Central  Bureau  des  Ingen- 
ieurwesens. — Letter  and  matter  regarding  Public  Baths,  etc., 
November  26,  1895,  from  Andreas  IMeyer,  Chief  Engineer. 
Notices  of  baths,  scale  of  prices,  tickets,  reports,  1890-94,  etc. 

Hamburg  (Germany). — Specifications  and  Conditions  for  Building 
a  Casement,  with  Closet  and  L'^rinal  Accommodation,  on  the 
Hop  Market. 

Harrogate  (England). — An  illustrated  Account  of  Harrogate;  Its 
Baths,  Waters  and  Environs.  Harrogate  as  a  Health  Re- 
sort (illus.).  Also  letter  from  ^^'illiam  Bennett.  Engineer  and 
Superintendent  of  \\^ells  and  Baths,  September  2^,  1896. 

Hartford  (Conn.). — Letter  from  John  K.  \Mlliams.  August  22.  i8q6. 


186  MAYOR'S    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 

Hartvvell,  Edward. — Letter,  July  7,  1896,  on  date  of  introduction  of 

rain  baths  in  the  United  States. 
Huddersfield  (England),  Borough  of. — Public  Baths:    By-laws  and 

regulations,  1871.    Letter  from  F.  C.  Lloyd,  Town  Clerk,  re- 
garding Public  Baths,  January  21,  1895. 
Jersey  City  (N.  J.),  People's  Palace. — Letter  from  J.  Lester  Wells, 

Secretary  People's  Palace,  August  26,  1896,  with  illustration  of 

swimming  tank  and  exterior  of  building. 
Jersey  (England),  Swimming  Club. — Annual  Reports,  26th  to  30th,. 

1892-96,  and  programmes  of  29th  and  30th  annual  swimming 

matches,  1894-95;  rules  and  regulations. 
Jersey  (England),  Swimming  Club. — "J^^sey,"  by  Archibald  Sin- 
clair.   "Swimming,"  January  16,  1896. 
Jersey  (England),  Swimming  Club. — Letters  from  A.  F.  Grellier, 

Hon.  Sec,  March  24th  and  June  15th,  1896;  with  manuscript 

account  of  the  club  since  its  formation. 
Jersey  (England),  Swimming  Club. — Rules  and  regulations,  pro- 
grammes, application  and  entry  forms  for  competitors,  tide 

tables,  cuttings  from  "Jersey  Times,"  August  19  and  20,  1895, 

and  January  23  and  March  7,  1896. 
Keith,  James,  C.  E. — Patented  Systems  of  Heating  Water  (illus.) ; 

also  illustration  of  Stafford  Corporation  Baths,  with  method 

of  heating  Turkish  baths. 
Konigsberg  (Germany),  Magistral  Koniglicher  Haupt-  und  Resi- 

denzstadt. — Letter  and  matter  regarding  Public  Baths,  etc.» 

December  4,  1895.    Rules,  price,  etc. 
Krakau  (Austria),  Magistral  der  Hauptstadt. — Letter  concerning 

Pubhc  Baths,  November  23,  1895. 
Laibach  (Austria). — Letter  regarding  Public  Baths,  etc.,  December 

4,  1895. 
Leipzig  (Germany),  Rath  der  Stadt. — Letter  and  matter  regarding 

Public  Baths,  etc.,  November  22,  1895.    Description  of  bathing 

house  and  cost  of  erection,  receipts  and  expenditures;  also 

People's  Douche  Baths. 
Life-Saving  Society  (England). — Annual  Reports  of  the  Central 

Executive  Committee,  1892-93  (with  prospectus  for  1894); 

1893-94  (with  prospectus  for  1895);  1894-95  (with  prospectus 

for  1896). 
Liverpool  (England),  Borough  of. — Public  Baths  and  Washhouses, 

sundry  statistics,  1893 ;  scale  of  charges,  etc. ;  also  reports  of  the 

Engineer  and  Chief  Superintendent  of  Baths  and  Washhouses,. 

November  20,  1895,  3-nd  January  15,  1896. 


BIBLlOUKAriiy.  187 

London  (England),  County  Council. — Returns  of  baths  and  wash- 
houses  in  the  County  oi  London,  1848-XH. 

London  (England),  "Local  Government  Journal." — Architecture, 
Building  and  Engineering.  New  Baths  and  Wa^shhouscs. 
July  30,  1892. 

London  (England),  Schools  Svviinniiiig  Association. — Report, 
1895;  Programme  of  Championship  Races  and  Entertainment, 
October  2,  1896;  circulars  of  same;  claim  for  first-class  certifi- 
cates. 

London  (England),  Bethnal  Green,  Parish  of. — Letter  from  Robert 
Voss,  Vestry  Clerk,  September  14,  1896. 

London  (England),  Bow,  Parish  of  St.  Mary,  Stratford. — Report  of 
the  Commissioners  for  Public  Baths  and  Washhouses,  1894, 
1895,  1896. 

London  (England),  Chelsea,  Parish  of. — Baths  and  Washhouses. 
Report,  38th,  1893-94;  pp.  19,  20,  40-43,  and  Report,  39th,  pp. 
44-48  and  182-185. 

London  (England),  Chelsea,  Parish  of. — Letter  from  M.  T.  Hol- 
land, Vestry  Clerk,  January  20,  1896,  regarding  the  work. 

London  (England),  City  of. — Latrines.  Works  and  Proceedings  of 
the  Commissioners  of  Sewers;  p.  25;  1894. 

London  (England),  City  of. — Specifications  for  underground  la- 
trine in  Cannon  Street;  also  letter  from  H.  Montague  Bates, 
Principal  Clerk  to  the  Commissioners  of  Sewers,  Februar}-  27, 
1896. 

London  (England),  City  of. — Underground  Latrines;  returns  pre- 
pared by  Clerk  and  Engineer,  by  order  of  Streets  Committee. 
1892  and  1893. 

London  (England),  City  of. — Underground  Urinals,  etc.  Returns 
prepared  by  the  Principal  Clerk  and  Engineer  by  order  of  the 
Streets  Committee;  from  the  first  opening  up  to  December  31, 
1889. 

London  (England),  Clerkenwell,  Parish  of  St.  James  and  St.  John. 
— Letter  from  R.  E.  Paget.  \^estr\^  Clerk,  September  9,  1896. 

London  (England),  Fulham,  Parish  of. — Letter  from  J.  H.  Den- 
selow,  Clerk  to  the  Vestrv,  January  24th,  1896,  regarding  Pub- 
lic Baths  and  Lavatories. 

London  (England),  Greenwich,  S.  E. — Letter  from  Alfred  Budds. 
Clerk  to  the  Commissioners,  September  o.  1896.  Also  ac- 
counts of  Commissioners  for  year  ending  ]\Iarch  25th.  1S96. 

London  (England).  Hackney.  Parish  of. — Letter  from  George  Gro- 
cott,  A'^estr}-  Clerk,  September  12,  1896. 


ISS  MAYORS    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 

London  (England),  Hoxton  Schools  Swimming  Association. — ^Bal- 
ance Sheet  for  1895,  and  circular  containing  rules  and  hints 
on  swimming. 

London  (England),  Islington,  Parish  of  St.  Mary. — Description  of 
a  Visit  to  the  Baths.  Reprinted  from  "London,"  April  18,  1895, 
with  illustrations. 

London  (England),  Islington,  Parish  of  St.  Mary. — Letter  from 
William  F.  Dewey,  Vestry  Clerk,  regarding  public  baths  and 
lavatories,  January  23,  1896,  and  letter  from  D.  McMonnies, 
Acting  Clerk,  September  9,  1896.  Public  Baths  and  Wash- 
houses:  Abstract  of  receipts  and  payments  of  the  Commission- 
ers, 1889-92,  1893-94.  Programme  of  the  opening  of  Public 
Baths,  1892  and  1895.  Leaflet  of  the  Hornsey  Road  Baths  and 
Public  Laundry. 

London  (England),  Islington,  Parish  of  St.  Mary. — Public  Baths 
and  Washhouses.  Annual  Reports,  35th,  1891,  p.  66;  37th, 
1893,  p.  62;  38th,  1894,  p.  9;  39th,  1895,  pp.  ix  and  Ixi. 

London  (England),  Islington,  Parish  of  St.  Mary. — Urinals.  An- 
nual Report,  35th,  1891,  p.  51. 

London  (England),  Kensington,  Parish  of  St.  Mary  Abbotts. — Let- 
ter from  Henry  E.  Mayfield,  Clerk  to  the  Commissioners,  Octo- 
ber 9,  1896.  Report  of  the  Commissioners  of  Public  Baths  and 
Washhouses  for  the  year  ending  March  25,  1896. 

London  (England),  Lewisham,  Parish  of. — Public  Baths  and  Wash- 
houses;  Report  of  Commissioners,  1888;  Abstracts  of  Ac- 
counts, 1894  and  1896;  time  and  price  of  admission  to  the 
baths;  Report  of  Board  of  Works,  1893-94. 

London  (England),  Newington,  Parish  of  St.  Mary. — Letter  from 
L.  J.  Dunham,  Vestry  Clerk,  February  14,  1896. 

London  (England),  Paddington,  Parish  of. — Report  of  the  Commis- 
sioners for  Public  Baths  and  Washhouses.    1891-92. 

London  (England),  Paddington,  Parish  of. — Report  of  the  Commis- 
sioners for  Public  Baths  and  Washhouses  for  the  year  ending 
March  31,  1896.    Annual  Report  of  the  Vestry,  June,  1896. 

London  (England),  Plumstead,  Parish  of. — Letter  from  E.  Hughes, 
Town  Clerk,  September  9,  1896. 

London  (England),  Poplar,  Parish  of. — Reports  from  the  Commis- 
sioners and  General  Abstracts  for  the  years  ending  March  23, 
1895,  and  March  28, 1896.  Also  letter  from  Joseph  S.  Freeman, 
Clerk  to  the  Baths  Committee,  September  22,  1896. 

London  (England),  Shoreditch,  Parish  of  St.  Leonard. — Letter  from 
H.  Mansfield  Robinson,  LL.  D.,  Clerk  to  the  Baths  Commis- 


BIBLIOailAPUY.  Ib9 

sioncrs,  October  2,  1896;  also  Conqjulilion  for  the  Proposed 
New  Public  Paths  and  Library. 

London  (Englandj,  St.  George,  Hanover  Square,  i'arish  of. — Pub- 
lic Conveniences;  leaflet  with  costs,  charges,  etc.,  January  14, 
1894.  Letter  from  G.  Livingston,  Surveyor,  regarding  Public 
Lavatories,  where  first  erected,  number,  etc.,  February  2,  1896. 

London  (England),  St.  George,  Planovcr  Square,  Parish  of. — Re- 
port of  Connnissioners  of  Baths  and  Washhouses  to  Vestry, 
1894-95 ;  also  Abstract  of  Accounts  of  same  year  and  letter  from 
Louis  C.  Mounstephcn,  Clerk,  February  11,  1896,  regarding 
their  Public  Baths  (where  first  erected,  etc.). 

London  (England),  St.  George,  Hanover  Square,  Parish  of. — Re- 
port of  the  Connnissioners  for  Public  Baths  and  Washhouses, 
on  completion  of  new  baths  and  washhouses,  1890.  Also  Laws, 
Orders  and  Regulations  for  the  management  of  baths  and 
washhouses. 

London  (England),  St.  Giles  District  Board  of  Works. — Circular  of 
Information  regarding  Public  Lavatory,  New  Oxford  Street. 

London  (England),  St.  Giles  District  Board  of  Works. — Letters 
regarding  Public  Baths  from  H.  C.  Jones,  Clerk  to  the  Board, 
January  20  and  September  11,  1896;  also  leaflet  on  Baths  and 
Washhouses. 

London  (England),  St.  Giles  District  Board  of  Works. — Public 
Urinals.    Annual  Report,  1893,  P-  53- 

London  (England),  St.  Giles-in-the-Fields  and  St.  George,  Blooms- 
bury,  Parishes  of. — Baths  and  Washhouses.  Lists  of  Joint 
Vestry,  etc.,  1894,  p.  16. 

London  (England),  St.  James,  Westminster,  Parish  of. — Statement 
relating  to  Public  Baths  and  Washhouses,  with  special  refer- 
ence to  New  Swimming  Bath,  July,  1893.  Also  report  of  Com- 
missioners, 1895. 

London  (England),  St.  Martin-in-the-Fields.  Parish  of. — Public 
Baths  and  Washhouses;  Statement  of  Receipts  and  Expendi- 
tures.   Annual  Report,  38th,  1893-4.  pp.  75-79. 

London  (England),  St.  Martin-in-the-Fields.  Parish  of. — Statement 
of  Receipts  and  Expenditures  by  Commissioners,  1893.  and 
schedule  of  laundr}-,  and  sample  tickets.  Letter  from  H.  Bald- 
win. Superintendent.  February  4.  1895.  '^^'ith  information  re- 
garding the  building  containing  the  laundr}'^  and  baths. 

London  (England).  St.  "Marylebone.  Parish  of. — Public  Baths  and 
Washhouses:  insta^tions  to  architects  for  rebuilding.  March 
20,  1894,  note  on  cost,  etc.:  also  letter  from  O.  L.  Marchant, 


lyO  MAYOft'S    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 

Clerk  lo  the  Baths  Committee,  September  9, 1896,  and  Abstract 
of  Cash  Received  and  Paid,  1895-96. 

London  (England),  Strand  District  Board  of  Works. — Return 
showing  Public  Latrine  Accommodations  in  large  towns  and 
populous  districts  in  England,  etc.,  March,  1889. 

London  (England),  Westminster,  United  Parishes  of  St.  Margaret 
and  St.  John. — ^Letter  concerning  Washhouses  and  Swimming 
Baths  from  C.  Newman,  Superintendent  Westminster  Baths, 
March  7,  1896.  Rules  and  regulations,  notices,  returns,  classes, 
tickets,  etc. 

London  (England),  Westminster,  United  Parishes  of  St.  Margaret 
and  St.  John. — Opening  of  the  New  Coroner's  Court,  PubHc 
Mortuary  and  Underground  Conveniences. 

London  (England),  Westminster,  United  Parishes  of  St.  Margaret 
and  St.  John. — Westminster's  Progress;  the  largest  baths  in 
London,  etc.  Cutting  from  "Morning  Leader,"  London,  Au- 
gust 22,  1893. 

London  (England),  Whitechapel,  Parish  of. — Public  Baths  and 
Washhouses,  1894  and  1895. 

London  (England),  Woolwich. — An  expert  on  Woolwich  Baths. 
Cutting  from  "Kentish  Independent,"  October  14,  1893. 

Lowell  (Mass.). — Reference  to  PubHc  Baths.  Annual  Report,  i8th, 
of  Board  of  Health,  pp.  34-39. 

Luton  (England),  Borough  of. — Abstract  of  Accounts,  1893-94. 
Baths  Account,  p.  4. 

Luton  (England),  Borough  of. — By-laws  for  the  management,  use 
and  regulation  of  Public  Baths.  See  By-Laws  of  the  Borough 
of  Luton,  1877-91,  p.  109. 

Magdeburg  (Germany),  Der  Magistrat  der  Stadt. — Letter,  Novem- 
ber 22,  1895. 

Milan  (Italy),  Municipio  de. — Letter  from  the  Mayor  regarding 
Baths  and  Lavatories,  February  24,  1896. 

Milwaukee  (Wis.). — Letters  from  Walter  Kempster,  M.  D.,  Com- 
missioner of  Health,  June  6,  1896,  and  Fred.  Schneider,  Sec- 
retSLvy,  Board  of  Public  Works,  June  9,  1896,  as  to  Milwaukee's 
bathing  facilities. 

Morris,  Moreau,  M.  D. — "More  about  the  Public  Rain  Baths." 
"Sanitarian,"  July,  1896. 

Munich  (Germany),  Der  rechtskundigen  i.  Biirgermeister  der 
Kgl.  Haupt-  und  Residenzstadt. — Letter  regarding  PubHc 
Baths,  December  i,  1895. 

National  Cash  Register  Co.,  Dayton  (Ohio). — Letters  from  John  H. 


BIBLIOaUAPHY.  liJl 

Patterson,  President,  September  12  and  23,  1896,  with  account 
of  bath  acconiniodation  provided  for  the  company's  employes. 

National  Swinnning  Association  (England). — Prospectus  for  1896. 

New  Orleans  (La.),  Morris  Public  Bath. — Letter  from  James  K. 
Bowling,  Superintendent,  June,  1896,  and  cutting  from  "The 
Daily  States,"  Monday,  May  21,  1896. 

Newport,  Mon.  (England),  County  Borough  of. — Kane's  new  sys- 
tem of  Public  Baths,  with  descriptive  plan.  Baths  and  gymna- 
sium, list  of  classes,  etc.,  1895-96.  Letters  from  James  Kane, 
Superintendent  Public  Baths,  October  30,  1895,  ^""^  August 
22,  1896. 

New  York  City,  Commissioner  of  Public  Works. — Rules  and  Regu- 
lations for  Public  Baths. 

New  York  City,  Committee  of  Fifty. — Leaflets  in  English,  German, 
Italian  and  Yeddish,  "What  Municipal  Reform  has  Done  for 
You,"  October  25,  1895. 

New  York  City. — Deaths  by  Drowning  (Accident  and  Suicide), 
1893-95,  with  letter  from  President  Charles  Wilson  of  the 
Board  of  Health. 

New  York  City,  Fifth  Avenue  Swimming  School,  Bath  and  Gym- 
nasium.— Letter  from  Proprietors,  Dr.  C.  A.  Bode  and  P.  J. 
H.  Daly,  card  of  invitation,  and  circulars  of  information. 

New  York  City,  Tenement  House  Committee. — Public  Baths.  Ten- 
ement House  Committee  Report.    Albany,  1894,  p.  47. 

New  York,  State  of. — Petition  blank  to  Legislature  respecting  Pub- 
lic Lavatories. 

Nizza  Marittima  (Italy). — L'Elettricita  applicata  al  Risanamento 
dell'Abitato.    "L'lngegneria  Sanitaria,"  Februar}%  1894. 

Otter  Swimming  Club  (St.  George's  Baths,  Buckingham  Palace 
Road,  London,  S.  W.). — Letter  from  Charles  W.  Bland,  Hon. 
Secretary,  March  21, 1896.  Also  Diary  for  1895,  election  form, 
programme  of  annual  entertainment,  report  and  balance  sheet 
for  1894,  and  list  of  officers,  fixtures  and  rules  for  1895. 

Philadelphia. — Letter  from  Henrv'  C.  Gill  Acting  Secretary  to  the 
Mayor.  Number  of  baths  taken  in  the  summer  of  1895  i"  six 
city  baths.  Letter  from  Hazlehurst  &  Huckel,  architects  of 
Model  Bathhouse,  Second  and  Cumberland  Streets,  October  3, 
1896,  with  description  of  bathhouse. 

Philadelphia  Public  Baths  Association. — A  short  account  of  the 
Public  Baths  Association,  its  organization  and  objects,  charters 
and  by-laws,  1895. 

Philadelphia,  Public  Baths  Association. — Public  Baths  of  Philadel- 


192  MAYOR'S    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BATHS. 

phia,  by  Sarah  D.  Lowrie,  Sec.  of  Association.  "The  Citizen," 
January,  1896,  pp.  249-251. 

Philadelphia,  Social  Science  Department  of  Civic  Club. — Munici- 
pal Public  Baths,  report  by  Mrs.  Frances  Howard  Williams, 
December  15,  1895.  'The  Citizen,"  January,  1896,  pp.  251- 
252. 

Portsmouth  (Eng-land),  Swimming  Club. — Programme  of  the  Nine- 
teenth Annual  Swimming  Festival,  August  5, 1895. 

Posen  (Germany). — Anlage  eines  offentlichen  Brausebades  auf  dem 
neuen  Markte.  "Bericht  iiber  die  Venvaltung  und  den  Stand 
der  Gemeinde-Angelegenheiten  in  der  Stadt  Posen,"  1894-95, 
p.  142. 

Posen  (Germany),  Magistrat  der  Provinzial-Hauptstadt. — Letters 
regarding  Public  Baths,  etc.,  October  31,  1895,  ^^^  Januar}' 
'21,  1896. 

Providence  (R.  I.),  Narragansett  Machine  Co. — Articles  on  Public 
Baths.    "The  Gymnasium"  for  August,  1890,  and  April,  1893. 

Providence  (R.  L). — Reference  to  Public  Baths.  Inaugural  address 
of  Edwin  D.  McGuinness,  Mayor,  p.  15. 

Richmond  (England). — Cost  of  building  and  maintenance  of  Public 
Baths. 

Roberts,  Prof.  Robert  J.,  Physical  Director,  Boston  Y.  M.  C.  A. — 
Hints  on  Bathing  and  the  Roberts  Rain  Shower.  One  Hun- 
dred Health  Hints. 

Rome  (Italy). — Specifications  of  Latrines  approved  by  the  Common 
Council  and  Provincial  Deputation,  1872. 

Salford  (England),  County  Borough  of. — Diagram  of  Blackfriars 
Street  Baths,  showing  fluctuation  in  number  of  bathers.  Ap- 
pendix, pp.  24-25,  Annual  Report,  1892. 

Sheffield  (England),  City  of. — Public  Baths  and  Washhouses.  Ab- 
stract of  Accounts,  March  25,  1895,  PP-  '^7-^9- 

Sheffield  (England),  Town  Clerk's  Office.— Letter  from  Mr.  Her- 
bert Bramley,  Town  Clerk,  January  29,  1896. 

Strassburg  (Germany),  Biirgermeister-Amt  der  Stadt  Strassburg  i. 
Els. — Letter  regarding  Public  Baths,  etc.,  February  i,  1896. 
Also  tickets  of  admission. 

Stuttgart  (Germany). — Das  Schwimmbad,  vom  Kommerzienrat 
Leo  Velter;  ill.    "Hygienischer  Fiihrer,"  pp.  191-200. 

Stuttgart  (Germany). — Letter  and  matter  regarding  Public  Baths, 
Lavatories,  etc.,  from  the  Oberbiirgermeister,  November  4, 

1895- 


BIBLIOG-IIAI'IIV.  la'J 

Troppau  (Austria). — Letter  on  I'uljlic  liatlis  fiom  \)v.  j'liiil  Kocho- 

wanski,  February  i8,  i8(/3- 
Vacher,  Francis. — Public  lUitbs  and  Cheaj)  liaths  for  tlie  I'eoplc; 

two  papers  on  baths  provision  and  construction;  22  pp.;  ill. 

London,  1879. 
Vienna  (Austria). — Oel  Pissoirs,  olinc  WasscrspiJlunj,^,  j^eruchlos. 

(An  account  of  the  (;il  disinfection  system  of  Wiihclm  Beetz.) 
Washing-ton  (D.  C). — Letter  from  W.  R.  Stevens,  Superintendent 

Bathing  Beach,  Aug-ust  28,  1896. 
Worthing  (England). — Description  of  proposed  alterations  to  the 

Municipal  Bath;  also  letter  from  Eflward  J.  Dean,  forwarding 

same. 
Yonkers  (N.  Y.). — Letter  from  Hon.  S.  L.  Cooper,  Commissioner  of 

Public  Works,  November  3  and  December  11,  1896. 
York  (England),  City  of. — Public  Baths.    "Year  Book  of  General 

Information,"  1894-95,  pp.  123-126. 

Plans,    Draiviiigs    and  Photographs. 

Altona  (Germany). — Ground  plan,  section,  front  and  side  elevations 
of  Sternstrasse  baths. 

Berlin  (Germany). — Elevations  and  ground  plans  of  (i)  conveni- 
ence for  men  and  women;  estimated  cost,  AI. 5,000,  in  wood. 
(2)  Conveniences  for  men  and  women;  estimated  cost  M.8,000, 
in  iron.  (3)  Rotunda  conveniences  for  men  and  v^omen;  water 
arrangements  sho^^^^.  (4)  Seven  compartment  urinal. 

Binningham  (England). — Ground  plans  of  the  five  public  baths; 
also  map  of  city  showing  the  position  of  the  baths. 

Boston  (Mass.). — Plan,  with  transverse  and  longitudinal  sections, 
of  bathhouse  for  men  and  boys,  sketched  by  Cxeorge  R.  Tol- 
man. 

Brighton  (England). — Photographs  of  the  new  swimming  bath  and 
of  cottage  baths. 

Chemnitz  (Gennany). — Ground  plan  of  convenience  for  men  and 
women. 

Dresden  (Germany). — Ground  plan,  section  and  elevations  of  a 
river  bath  in  the  Elbe  for  boys.  Ground  plan,  section  and 
elevations  of  a  city  bath.  Elevation  and"  plan  of  urinal  with 
seven  compartments. 

Frankfort-on-Main  (Germany). — Swimming  baths,  plan  of  base- 
ment, mezzanine  and  ground  floor,  longitudinal  and  trans- 
verse sections.  Douche  bath,  elevation,  section,  basement  and 
ground  floor  plans. 


194  MAYOR'S    COMMITTEE    ON    PUBLIC    BAxHS. 

Graz  (Austria). — Plans  and  sections  of  an  ordinary,  and  of  an  oc- 
tagonal urinal.  Also  elevation,  section  and  ground  plan  of 
convenience  for  both  sexes. 

Hamburg  (Germany). — Ground  plan,  section  and  details  of  erection 
of  casement  urinal  on  the  Hop  Market,  1889;  elevations,  plans, 
and  sections  of  a  projected  urinal  on  the  landing  place  at  the 
Hohenfelder  Bucht,  1891 ;  of  another  projected  urinal  on  the 
landing  place  near  the  Kuhmiihle,  1891,  and  of  a  urinal  on  the 
Graskellerbriicke,  1893. 

Jersey  (England),  Swimming  Club. — Photograph  of  Havre-des-Pas 
bathing  establishment. 

Konigsberg  (Germany). — Basement  and  ground  plans  and  longfi- 
tudinal  sections  of  municipal  douche  baths,  1895. 

Krakau  (Austria). — Elevation  and  ground  plan  of  convenience  for 
men  and  women  on  the  Sudplatz. 

London  (England),  City  of. — Plans  of  underground  convenience 
at  Cannon  Street  for  men  and  women. 

London  (England),  Deptford. — Elevation,  ground  and  first  floor 
plans  of  Public  Baths,  Washhouses  and  Municipal  Offices. 

London  (England),  Greenwich,  S.  E. — Photographs  of  exterior  of 
baths  and  of  second-class  swimming  bath. 

London  (England),  Hackney. — Photograph  of  exterior  of  baths. 

London  (England),  Islington,  Parish  of  St.  Mary. — Ten  photo- 
graphs of  Homsey  Road  Baths,  showing  swimming  baths, 
private  baths,  washhouses,  entrance,  etc.,  and  one  showing 
first-class  men's  swimming  baths. 

London  (England),  Newington,  Parish  of  St.  Mary. — Plan  and  pro- 
cess reproduction  of  front  elevation  of  public  baths  and  wash- 
houses. 

London  (England),  Shoreditch,  Parish  of  St.  Leonard. — First  pre- 
miated  design  for  proposed  new  Public  Baths  and  Library, 
showing  elevations  and  ground  plans. 

London  (England),  St.  Giles  District  Board  of  Works. — Plan  of 
underground  convenience  for  men  and  women  at  Tottenham 
Court  Road. 

London  (England),  St.  Martin-in-the-Fields,  Parish  of. — Plan  of 
refuge  and  underground  convenience  with  sections. 

London  (England),  Westminster,  United  Parishes  of  St.  Margaret 
and  St.  John. — First  and  second-class  swimming  baths,  ex- 
terior of  baths  and  portrait  of  Charles  Newman,  Superin- 
tendent. 

Munich  (Germany). — Plans,  sections  and  elevations  of  people's 


BIBLIOOKAPFIY.  19S 

douche  baths  (octagonal;  on  the  Bavaria  Ring;  and  of  two 
other  douche  baths,  one  octagonal.  Elevation  and  plan  of  uri- 
nal, scvcn-conipartnient.  Elevations,  sections  and  plans  of  two 
public  conveniences  for  men  and  women. 

Newport,  Mon.  (England). — Photographs  of  swimming  bath, 
bathers  and  gynmasium. 

Plans  and  elevations  of  ladies'  chalet,  combining  shop  and  lavatory. 

Posen  (Germany). — Plans,  elevations  and  section  of  proposed  octa- 
gonal people's  douche  bath.  Plans,  elevation  and  sections 
of  conveniences  for  men  and  women,  two  in  1890,  one  in  1892 
and  one  on  the  old  market  place.  Plan  of  urinal  on  the  Sapielsa- 
Platz. 

Providence  (R.  I.),  Narragansett  Machine  Co. — Plan  of  Gymna- 
sium, showing  arrangement  of  bath. 

Rome  (Italy). — Plans  and  elevations  of  six  types  of  urinal,  and  of  a 
latrine  approved  by  the  Council  of  Hygiene. 

Strassburg  (Germany). — Proposed  people's  douche  baths,  to  cost 
M.29,000;  plans,  elevations  and  sections.  Also  plans,  eleva- 
tions and  sections  of  people's  baths  on  the  x\cademie-Platz ; 
cost  M.35,000. 

Worthing  (England). — Basement  and  ground  plan  of  Worthing 
public  bath,  as  in  1896,  and  with  proposed  alterations. 

Yonkers  (N.  Y.). — Elevations  of  public  baths  on  Vark  and  Jefferson 
Streets  and  in  rear,  plans  of  living  rooms,  first  story  and  cellar, 
lonsfitudinal  and  cross  sections. 


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INDEX. 


Accommodation  In  proixjsed  bath  lOOx 
50,  165; of  proposed  bath  In  Tomp- 
kins Square,  170. 

Aldermen,  Board  of,  given  power  to 
grant  permits  for  newspaper  stands, 
149. 

Altona,    chalets    for    ladles,    159; 

school  baths  at,  58. 

Amateur,  definition  of,  48; Swim- 
ming Association,    48; Swimming 

Association,  Southern  Counties,  47. 

Andrews,  A.  D.,  Commissioner  Police 
Department,  letter  from,  148. 

Association  for  Improving  the  Con- 
dition of  the  Poor,   54;^ — -baths  of, 

26,  36; co-operation  of,  6; erects 

bathhouse,  5. 

Astor,  John  Jacob,  on  1866  Committee 
of  Sanitary  Inquiry,  142. 

Astor  Place  convenience,  care  of, 
transferred  to  Public  Works  De- 
partment, 144; public  comfort  sta- 
tion, 143. 

Augustus,  age  of,  public  baths,  6. 

Austrian  conveniences,  162. 

Baruch,  Dr.   Simon,  54. 

Bates,  H.  Montague,  Principal  Clerk 
to  the  Commissioners  of  Sewers  of 
the  City  of  London,  7. 

Bathers,  number  of,  at  floating  baths, 
36. 

Bathhouse  Commissioners,  Municipal, 
30. 

Bathing  and  Washing  Association, 
People's,  26; Association,  Metro- 
politan, of  the  City  of  New  York, 
27; habit  growing,  17. 

Bath  Legislation  regarding  New  York 
City,  26. 

Baths  and  Comfort  Stations,  organi- 
zation of  Mayor's  Committee  on,  25. 

Baths  and  Washhouses  Act,  England, 
26,  45; floating,  52; floating,  au- 
thorized. 27; floating,  cost  of,   35; 

floating,  first  two  erected,  27; 

floating,   location  of,  35; fioating, 

number   of   bathers,    36; floating, 

regulations  of,  35; number  of  per- 
sons   having    access    to,    17; per 

family  In  the  Fifteenth  Assembly 
District,  19; provision  for,  inade- 
quate in  American  cities,  68: pub- 
lic, should  be  paid  for,  164; slip- 
per, 45. 


Belmont,  Augunt,  on  1866  Committe« 
of  Sanitary  Inquiry,   142. 

Berlin,    Germany,    city    public    bathii, 

106; coHt  of  water  at  Moabit  bathn, 

107; douche  baths  at  public  baths, 

116; Moabit  baths,  108; number 

of  bathers  at  city  public  baths,  108; 

number    of    river    bathers,    104; 

original    outlay    on    city    public 

•  baths.   106; public  baths.  103,  133; 

receipts     and     expenditures     at 

river  baths,  103,  104; receipts  and 

working  expenditure  of  city  public 

baths,     107; river     baths,     104; 

scale  of  charges  at  river  baths,  105; 

Schlllingsbrucke    baths,    109; 

Society  for  People's  Baths,  111; 

Swimming    League,      109; urinals 

and  conveniences,  159. 

Bibliography,  181. 

Bill  giving  monopoly  of  public  con- 
veniences,    148; to    make    public 

conveniences  mandatory,  144. 

Billings,  E.,  on  Boston  Bath  Com- 
mittee, 63. 

Birmingham,  England,  attendance  of 

bathers,   71,   72; baths,    rules  and 

regulations,  128; cost  of  baths,  73; 

public  baths,  68; public  con- 
veniences for  women,  157; receipts 

and  expenditures  of  public  baths,  69, 
70; scale  of  charges,  74; Turk- 
ish bath,  121. 

Blomfleld  House  Swimming  Club,  50. 

Board  of  Aldermen  given  power  to 
grant  permits  for  newspaper  stands, 
149. 

Board  of  Commissioners  of  Public 
Parks  requested  to  co-operate  with 
Mayor's  Committee,  177. 

Board  of  Estimate  and  Apportion- 
ment, 179; and  bath  appropria- 
tion, 30; and  Maj'or's  Committee, 

169; and  public  baths,  31. 

Board  of  Health,  179; and  life-sav- 
ing    apparatus,     44; and     public 

baths,  2S,  31; approves  plans  for 

bathhouse,  6,  64; approves  public 

comfort  stations,  6,  177; demands 

Increase  of  urinals,  144; Metro- 
politan,  and  public  urinals,   142; 

Metropolitan,  engineer  reports  on 
urinals.  143; pleads  for  establish- 
ment of  free  public  baths  and  wash- 
houses,     27; recommends     warm 


INDEX. 


baths,  28; reports  universal  pa- 
tronage of  free  baths,  27; requests 

plans   for  public   conveniences,   177; 

to  determine   number  of  public 

baths,  163. 

Bootle  baths,   how  managed,   121. 

Boston,   Bath   Committee   appointed. 

6: baths  in  public  school,   59; 

Charlesbank       Gymnasium,        free 

baths  at,  62; public  baths,  28,  63; 

Y.  M.  C.  A.  Gymnasium  shower 

bath,  54. 

Bradford    baths,    how   managed,    121; 

swimming     club,     50; Turkish 

bath,  121; urinals,  157. 

Brighton,  lavatories,  receipts  and  ex- 
penses, 158. 

Brookfleld,  William,  Commissioner  of 
Public  Works,  35. 

Brookline  public  bath,  63. 

Brooklyn,  baths  first  authorized,  29. 

Brunswick,  school  baths  at,  59; uri- 
nals and  conveniences,  159. 

Bryant,  Sanitary  Inspector  J.  D. 
(1873),  28. 

Buffalo,  municipal  baths,  61. 

"Bureau   of   Public   Comfort,"   24. 

Burnley  baths,  how  managed,  121; 

conveniences,         158; swimming 

clubs,  49. 

Burns,  Charles  De  F.,  Secretary  De- 
partment of  Public  Parks,  letter 
from,  145. 

Cady,  Berg  &  See,  architects  and  en- 
gineers,  6,   165,   177; architects   of 

Mayor's  Committee,  163,  169; pre- 
pare plans  for  baths,  169; request- 
ed to  prepare  drawings  of  public 
comfort  stations,  179. 

Cady,  J.  C,  &  Co.,  architects,  23. 

Capacity  of  baths  on  site  100x50, 
planned  by  the  Mayor's  Committee, 
165. 

Carlisle  and  Washington  Streets,  vi- 
cinity recommended  for  public  bath, 
24.  164. 

Carlsruhe,  school  baths  at,  58. 

Caution  money  from  washers,  135,  136. 

Charges  for  baths  in  England,  132. 

Charities  and  Corrections,  President 
of  the  Department  of,  a  Municipal 
Bathhouse  Commissioner,  30. 

Charlesbank  Gymnasium,  Boston, 
free  baths  at,  62. 

Chatham  Square,  vicinity  recom- 
mended for  public  bath,  24,  164. 

Chemnitz  baths,  133; conveniences, 

160. 

Chicago,  Carter  H.  Harrison  bath,  66; 

Douglas    Park    Natatorium    and 

Gymnasium,  66; Municipal  Order 

League,  66; swimming  bath,  52. 


Cholera     affects    use     of    Hambui'g 

baths,      133; as      affecting      bath 

water,   116. 

Citizens'  Association  of  New  York, 
142. 

City  and  Suburban  Homes  Company, 
20. 

City  Hall  Pa,rk,  as  site  for  under- 
ground public  comfort  stations,  6, 
169,  176,  180; public  urinal,  143. 

City  Vigilance  League  petitions  for 
public  conveniences,  144. 

Civil  Service  examinations  favored 
by  Committee  of  Seventy,  21. 

Clarence   Swimming  Club,   50. 

Clark,  Emmons,  Secretary  of  the 
Health  Department,  letters  from, 
165,   177. 

Classes,  different,  in  baths,  131. 

Clubs,   swimming,   47. 

Collis,  Gen.  C.  H.  T.,  Commissioner 
of  Public  Works,  approves  plans  for 
public  baths  in  Tompkins  Square, 
6; confers  with  Mayor's  Com- 
mittee, 168,  179. 

Comfort  stations,  should  be  partly 
free,  24. 

Commissioner  of  Public  Parks,  and 
structures  for  public  comfort,   32. 

Commissioner  of  Public  Works,  29; 

and   public   baths,   31,   35; confers 

with  Mayor's  Committee,  168,  179;- — 
in  charge  of  public  convenience,  144. 

Commissioners  of  Sewers  of  City  of 
London,  report  on  public  conveni- 
ences, 175. 

Committee  of  Seventy,  disbandment, 
24; expresses  appreciation  of  Sub- 
Committee's  study,  24; genesis  of, 

21; nominates  committee  of  five, 

22; organization  of  Sub-Commit- 
tee, 22; platform  of,  21. 

Common  Council  to  regulate  use  of 
floating  baths,  27. 

Company  for  Hygienic  Purposes, 
Dresden.  160; Hamburg,   160. 

Comparison  of  attendance  at  swim- 
ming and  slipper  baths,  England, 
45. 

Competitions,  swimming,  49. 

Comptroller  and  bath  appropriation, 
33; moves  to  refer  plans  of  com- 
fort stations  to  Park  Department, 
179. 

Cooper,  Hon.  S.  L.,  Commissioner  of 
Public   Works,   Yonkers,   61. 

Coventry,  England,  public  baths,  128. 

Cox,  Job,  Superintendent  and  Engin- 
eer of  the  Baths  Department,  City 
of  Birmingham,  7. 

Cracow,  no  conveniences,  162. 

Croton  Aqueduct  Department,  144; 

and  public  urinal,  143. 


INDEX. 


ill 


Purks  nnd  site 
stniL'turcs  for 
-erects  urinals 


Croydon,  cxponKcH  of  urlnnlH,  Ififi. 

Death  rate  affected  by  lack  of  public 
convcnlnnreH,  142. 

Do  FoHsez,  Alexander,  and  public 
conveniences,  149; bill,  150. 

De  Milt  Dispensary,  baths  of  the.  42. 

Department  of  Docks  and  location  of 

baths,     35; public     conveniences, 

144; to  assign   location  of  baths, 

28. 

Department  of  Public  Charities, 
bath.s  at,  42. 

Department  of  Public 

for   hath,    33; nnd 

public  comfort,  32;— 

In    city    parka,    144; provision    of 

public  conveniences,  145. 

Department  of  Public  Works,  29; 

to    control    floating    baths,    28; to 

take  charge  of  Astor  Place  conveni- 
ence, 144. 

Design  of  proposed  bath  on  site  lOOx 

50,  168; public  convenience,  180; 

Tompkins    Square   proposed    baths, 
172. 

Docks  and  water  fronts,  improvement 
of,  favored  by  Committee  of 
Seventy,  22; life-saving  appara- 
tus at,  44; Department  of,  and  lo- 
cation   of    baths,    35; and    public 

conveniences,       144; location       of 

baths,   28. 

Dolphin  Swimming-  Club,  Bradford,  49. 

Douche  baths  at  Hamburg,  115. 

Douches  provided  at  swimming  baths, 
45. 

Dresden,  Company  for  Hygienic  Pur- 
poses,    160: public    conveniences, 

160. 

Drexel,  Joseph  O.,  of  Tenement  House 
Commission  of  1S84,  16. 

Drinking  fountains  recommended  by 
Tenement  House  Committee  of  1894, 
19. 

Drowning,  lives  lost  in  New  York 
City  in  '93-'95,  43. 

Drying  by  hot  air  in  motion,  135. 

Dunkirk,  movement  for  public  baths, 
62. 

Easterbrook,  William  P..  of  Tene- 
ment House  Commission  of  1SS4,  16. 

East  River,  location  for  floating  bath, 
29. 

East  Side  Park,  location  for  bath,  33. 

Economy  Inspection.    Leipzig.   161. 

Edinburgh,     Scotland,     charges     for 

swimming       lessons,       46; public 

bath,  100; scale  of  charges.  100; 

^washhouses,  135. 

Eisenhower,  Chief,  of  the  Philadel- 
phia Bureau  of  City  Property,  53. 


ElpctlonH,  depuration  of  Stale  and 
Municipal,  favored  by  the  Commit- 
tee of  8<.-v«rnty,  22. 

Eleventh  Avenue  and  Fifty-eighth 
Strfct,  vlflnlty  recommended  for 
public  bafh,  24.   164. 

EmcrKen'y  and  Hygiene  Aasoclation, 
MnHHuchuHcitH,  mulntalnii  Charles- 
bank  GymnuHlum,  63. 

England,    chargew    for   bathH,    132; 

differc-nt    cIuhhch    of    bathH,    131; 

Local  Government  Board  and  pub- 
lic bath  loana,  121; provldcH  pub- 
lic urinals,  150; public  bath  leglM- 

latlon,  12'i; the  shower  bath,  54. 

English  Baths  and  WashhouBes  Act, 
26,   45,  120. 

Essex  Market,  vicinity  recommended 
for  public  bath,  24,  164. 

Estimate  and  Apportionment,  Board 

of,    179; and    bath    appropriation, 

30; and   Mayor's   Committee,   169; 

and  public  baths,  31. 

European  models  of  baths,  165. 

Paure,  John  P.,  Secretary  of  Commit- 
tee  of  Seventy,   and  of   St.   John's 

Guild,   22; selects   Sub-Committee 

on  Baths  and  Lavatories,  22. 

Federation  of  Churches  and  Christ- 
ian Workers  in  New  York  City,  19; 
rent  statistics  of,  20. 

Fifteenth    Assembly    District,    baths 

per  family  in,  19; parks  urgently 

needed,  20; public  baths  and  lava- 
tories urgently  demanded  in,  20; 

rent  per  room   in,    20. 

Fifth  Ward,  floating  bath  to  be  lo- 
cated in.  29. 

Fifty-eighth  Street  and  Eleventh 
Avenue,  vicinity  recommended  for 
public  bath,  24,  164. 

Fish,  Hamilton,  on  Committee  of 
Sanitary  Inquiry,  142. 

Floating  Hospital,  St.  John's  Guild, 
baths  of  the,  42. 

Fowler,  Commissioner  George  B.,  of 
the  Health  Department,  178. 

Frankfort-on-Main  baths,  115. 

Free  public  baths  an  imperative  ne- 
cessity in  New  York,  9. 

Gegenstrom  bath  fixtures,  59; sys- 
tem of  heating  water,  167,  172. 

German  baths,  how  managed.  133: 

conveniences,    model    for   Austrian, 

162; system  of  heating  water,  167, 

172. 

Germany,  public  conveniences,  159; 

spray  bath  in.  54. 

Gilder.  Richard  Watson,  Chairman 
Tenement  Hou?e  Committee  of  1894, 
17. 


INDEX. 


Glasgow,    Scotland,    deficit    provided 

from  assessments,  1U3; number  of 

bathers  and  washers,   103; public 

baths,  100; receipts  and  expendi- 
tures at  baths,   102,   103; scale  of 

charges  at  baths,  102; tempera- 
ture as  affecting  receipts  at  baths, 
103; washhouses,  101,  102. 

Gothenburg,  average  operating  ex- 
penses of  baths,  118; baths,  how 

managed,      133; cost      of     public 

baths,  116;  Majorna  baths,  number 

of  bathers,  119; public  baths,  116; 

receipts  and  operating  expenses 

of  public  baths,  117; Renstromska 

Badanstalten,  number  of  bathers, 
118; urinals  and  conveniences,  162. 

Gottingen,  baths  in  the  public  schools, 
56. 

Graz,  Austria,  public  conveniences, 
162. 

Greeley  Square  as  site  for  under- 
ground public  comfort  station,  6,  169, 
176,  180. 

Hamburg,  Germany,  baths,  how  man- 
aged, 133; cholera   affects   use   of 

baths,  113; Company  for  Hygienic 

Purposes,   160; Blmsbuttel  baths, 

114; Patriotic  Society,  113; re- 
ceipts and  expenses  of  baths,  114; 

river  baths,  112; scale  of  charges 

at  baths,  115; Schaarmarkt  baths, 

113; Schweinemarkt  baths,  113; 

St.  Pauli  douche  baths,  115,  116; 

swimming  baths  at,  64; tempera- 
ture   of    baths,    114; urinals    and 

conveniences,  160; water  boiled  on 

account  of  cholera,  116. 

Hamilton,  William  Gaston,  7; "Vice- 
President  of  the  Association  for  Im- 
proving the  Condition  of  the  Poor, 

22; Chairman    Sub-Committee    on 

Baths  and  Lavatories,  22; Chair- 
man Mayor's  Committee  on  Baths 
and  Comfort  Stations,  25,  163. 

Harrison,  Carter  H.,  Bath  of  Chicago, 
66. 

Hartwell,  Dr.  B.  M.,  Director  of 
physical  training  in  the  Boston  pub- 
lic schools,  59,  63,  64. 

Havre-des-Pas,  Jersey,  bathing  estab- 
lishment, 51. 

Health,  Board  of,  179; and  life-sav- 
ing    apparatus,     44; and     public 

baths,    28,    31; approves    plans    of 

Mayor's  Committee,  164,  177; de- 
mands  increase  of  urinals,   144; 

pleads  for  establishment  of  free 
public    baths    and    washhouses,    27; 

recommends  warm  baths,  28; 

reports  universal  patronage  of  free 
baths,  27; requests  plans  for  pub- 


lic conveniences,  177; to  determine 

number  of  public  baths,  163. 

Health  Department  approves  plans  of 

Mayor's     Committee,     177; letter 

from,  164; report  on  baths  in  lodg- 
ing houses,  13. 

Health,  Metropolitan  Board  of,  and 
public  urinals,  142; engineer  re- 
ports on  public  urinals,  143. 

Health  Laws,  thoroughness  recom- 
mended by  Committee  of  Seventy, 
21. 

Heating     and    ventilating    proposed 

bath  100x50,  167; Tompkins  Square 

proposed  bath,  172. 

Hebrew  Sheltering  Orphan  Asylum, 
baths  in,  23. 

Hedges,  Job  E.,  letter  from,  25. 

Hemenway  Gymnasium,  Harvard 
University,  shower  room,  54. 

Hicks,  Coroner,  of  London,  47. 

Hirsch,  Baron  de,  Fund  Baths,  41. 

Hodgman,  Abbott,  of  Tenement 
House  Commission  of  1884,  16. 

Home  rule  and  public  conveniences, 
149. 

Houston,  Dr.  Edwin  J.,  President  of 
the  National  Swimming  Associa- 
tion, 53. 

Hudson  River,  location  for  floating 
bath,  29. 

Humane  Society,  care  for  cases  of 
drowning,  44. 

Jaffray,  Edward  S.,  on  1866  Committee 

of  Sanitary  Inquiry,  142. 
Jersey  Swimming  Club,  50,  51. 

Kehew,  Mrs.  M.  M.,  on  Boston  Bath 

Committee,  63. 
King,  David  H.,  Jr.,  22. 
Kiosks  as  public  conveniences,  149. 

La  CoUette  bathing  place,  Jersey,  51. 

Laibach,  Austria,  urinals  and  con- 
veniences, 162. 

Lassar,  Prof.,  110. 

Laundries,  how  administered,  134; 

scale  of  charges,  136. 

Laundry  in  proposed  bath,  100x50,  167; 

in   proposed    bath    in    Tompkins 

Square,   174; money-taker's   daily 

account,  140; municipal,  advan- 
tages of,  141. 

Lavatories,    charges    made,    19; in 

foreign  cities,  19; public,  recom- 
mended by  Tenement  House  Com- 
mittee of  1894,  19; urgently  de- 
manded in  Fifteenth  Assembly  Dis- 
trict, 20. 

Leary,  William,  Secretary  Depart- 
ment of  Public  Parks,  letter  from, 
146. 


INDEX. 


Legislation,    bath,      rogardlng;     New 

York  City,  2(5; on  public  bathn,  6; 

on  public  convonlcncoH,  143. 

Legislature,  petitioned  for  public  con- 
veniences, 144. 

Leipzig,  Germany,  conveniences,  161; 
Economy  Inspection,  Hil; uri- 
nals and  conveniences,  100. 

Letter  carriers  affected  by  lack  of 
public  conveniences,  148. 

Life-saving   apparatus    at   docks,  44; 

demonstration,    49; Newman's 

method,  127; Society,  17. 

Liverpool,  England,  liurroughs  Gar- 
den washhouse,  135; cost  and  ac- 
commodation of  bathing  establish- 
ments, 77; Frederick  Street  wash- 
house,  135; free  open  air  swim- 
ming bath,  78; Lodge  Lane  wash- 
house,     135; number    of    bathers 

during   the   year   1895,    178; public 

baths,    74; receipts    and   expendi- 
tures   of    baths    for    1895,    78; St. 

George's  baths,  120; washhouses, 

134; washhouse    charges,    136; 

washhouses,   number  using,   141; 

washhouses,  rules  and  regulations, 
138. 

Loans  for  public  baths  in  England, 
121. 

Lodging-house  of  Department  of  Pub- 
lic Charities,  baths  at,  42; pa- 
trons, majority  dirty  and  unclean, 
13. 

Lodging-houses,  baths  in,  13; baths 

in,  reasons  for  not  usine:,  16. 

London,  England,  Association  for 
Promoting   Cleanliness    Among   the 

People,    120; baths,     deficit,     how 

paid,    123; baths,    how    managed, 

121; baths  in  George  Street,  Eus- 

ton  Square,  120; Bishop  of  (1846), 

and  public  baths,  120; Lord  Mayor 

and   public   baths,    120; municipal 

baths     in     1S92,      10; New     River 

Water  Company  and  public  baths, 

120; particulars      of      baths      and 

washhouses  in  operation.  79; pub- 
lic       conveniences,        150; Public 

Health  Act,  151; School  Board  en- 
courages   swimming,    46; Schools 

Swimming        Association,        47; 

Schools   Swimming  Association  de- 
monstrates life-saving  methods,  49; 

very  cheap  baths  in  the  poorer 

quarters,   17; Vestries  and  public 

baths,  121. 

London,  Engi-vnd  : — 
Battersea  public  baths,  47. 
Bow,  number  of  bathers.  SI; pub- 
lic baths,  SO; worlving  expenses 

and  receipts  of  public  batlas,  81. 
Chelsea    public   baths.    82: public 


convenlf;ncf;H,    153; r<;colptM    and 

expcndltureH   of   public   bathn,    82; 

recelptH  and  'rxpenHcti  of  public 

convonlencr;H,  1.03. 

City,  CommlHHionorH  of  HewerB'  re- 
port on  public  convenlencea,  175; 
public  convenience*,  175; un- 
derground latrlneH,  174. 

Greenwich  public  baths,  82. 

Islington,   charges  at  public  bathH, 

85; expenses    of    public    urlnaJB, 

162; Horn.sey  lioad   bath,  .'/); 

Homsey  Road  washhouHe,  134; 

loans   for   baths,   121,   122; loan* 

for    public    conveniences,    152; 

number   of    bathers,    1893-5,    85; 

number  of  washers,  1894  and  1895, 

85; original  cost  of  public  b.aths, 

84; public    baths,    83; receipts 

and  payments  of  public  conveni- 
ences, 152; underground  conveni- 
ences,    150; working     expenses 

and  receipts  of  baths,  1894-5,  84. 

Kensington,  charges  at  public 
baths,  86; laundry,  86; num- 
ber of  bathers,  1892-6,  87; receipts 

and  expenses  of  public  baths,  1895- 
96,  86,  87. 

Lewlsham,  number  of  bathers,  1895- 
%,  89; public  baths,  87; re- 
ceipts and  expenses  for  1895-6,  88; 
scale  of  charges,  89. 

Marj-lebone  public  baths,  89. 

Paddington,  number  of  bathers  and 

washers,  90; public  baths,  90; 

receipts  and  expenditures  for  1S95- 
96,  90; Turkish  baths,  120. 

Poplar,     number    of    bathers     and 

washers,  92; public  baths,  91; 

receipts  and  expenditures  for  1S94- 
96,  91. 

Shoreditch,  public  conveniences, 
157. 

St.  George,  Hanover  Square,  Buck- 
ingham Palace  Road  baths,  49: 

number  of  bathers  and  washers, 

1893-3,    93; public    baths,    92; 

public  conveniences,  154; re- 
ceipts and  expenses  for  1894-5.  92; 
scale  of  charges,  93. 

St.  Giles-in-the  Fields  and  St. 
George,    Bloomsbury,    number    of 

bathers  and  washers.  1893-4,  94; 

public  baths.  93: public  conveni- 
ences, 155; receipts  and  expenses 

for  1893-4,  93; scale  of  charges,  94. 

St.  James,  Westminster,  laundry 
statistics,  97; number  of  bath- 
ers.    1893    and    1894,     96: public 

baths,      94,      123: receipts      and 

working  expenses.  1893  and  1S&4,  96: 
scale  of  charges.  96: ^wash- 
house,  135. 


INDEX. 


St.       Martin-in-the-Fields,       public 

baths,    97; public    conveniences, 

156; receipts    and    expenses    for 

1893,  97. 

St.  Pancras,  Fitzroy  baths,  50. 

Strand    District    Board    of    Works, 
public  conveniences,  157. 

"Westminster,  application  for  special 

ticket    book,    132; certificate    of 

proficiency    in    swimming,    126; — ^ 

public  baths,  47,  50,  97; rules  and 

regulations    for    bathers,     123; 

rules  and  regulations  for  washers, 
136; scale  of  charges,  99; spe- 
cial   ticket    holders,     126,     127; 

washer's  ticket,  141; washhouse 

charges,  136; water  chute,  126. 

Whitechapel,     number    of    bathers 

and   washers,   99; public   baths, 

99,  120; receipts  and  expenses  of 

public  baths,  99,  100. 
Lowe,  Dr.  Julia,  of  Chicago,  66. 

Marshall,  Edward,  Secretary  Tene- 
ment House  Committee  of  1894,  17. 

Massachusetts  Emergency  and  Hy- 
giene Association,  maintains 
Charlesbank  Gymnasium,  63. 

Massachusetts  public  bath  laws,  63. 

Mayor  of  New  York,  a  Municipal 
Bathhouse  Commissioner,  30. 

Mayor's  Committee  on  Public  Baths 
and  Public  Comfort  Stations,  con- 
fers with   Commissioner   of  Public 

Works,    168; organization    of,    25; 

prepares  plans  for  comfort  sta- 
tions,   177; report    delayed,    9; 

requested  to  submit  plans  for  baths, 
163. 

Metropolitan  Bathing  Association  in 
the  City  of  New  York,  27. 

Metropolitan    Board    of   Health    and 

public     urinals,     142; reports     on 

public  urinals,  143. 

Meyer,  Chief  Engineer  Andreas,  of 
Hamburg,  7. 

Milan,  public  comfort  stations,  162. 

Mintum,  the  late  Robert  B.,  and  pub- 
lic baths,  27. 

Morris,  Moreau,  M.  D.,  7; Medical 

Inspector,        ex-Tenement       House 

Commissioner  (1884),  22; Secretary 

of  Tenement  House  Commission  of 

1884,    16; Vice-Chairman    Mayor's 

Committee  on  Baths  and  Comfort 
Stations,  25,  163. 

Morris,  Sanitary  Inspector  Stuyves- 
ant  F.   (1873),  28. 

Mott  Street,  bathing  institution  in,  26. 

Munich,  school  baths  at,  58; urinals 

and  conveniences,  161. 

Municipal  Bathhouse  Commissioners, 
30. 


Municipal  bathing  establishments 
recommended   by   Tenement  House 

Committee    of    1894,    18; laundry, 

advantages  of,  141. 

Municipal  Order  League  of  Chicago, 
66. 

Myers,  M.  W.,  on  Boston  Bath  Com- 
mittee, 63. 

National  Swimming  Association,  53. 

Newark,   N.   J.,   public  bath,   67. 

Newman,  Charles,  Superintendent 
Westminster  baths,  London,  47. 

New  York  City  behind  European 
cities  in  provision  of  public  baths, 

9; baths  in  public  schools,  60; 

number  of  persons  compelled  to  use 
the  same  water-closet  or  privy,  12, 
13; number  of  persons  to  a  bath- 
room,  12; public  baths  of,   35; 

slums,  baths  in,  11; the  first  spray 

bath,  5. 

New  York  Juvenile  Asylum,  54. 

Noonan,  Alderman,  introduces  reso- 
lution on  public  conveniences,  149. 

Novice,  definition  of,  48. 

O'Donohue,  Joseph,  of  Tenement 
House  Commission  of  1884,  16. 

Oil  closure  system  for  urinals,  159,  160, 
161,  162. 

One  Hundred  and  Tenth  Street  and 
Second  Avenue,  vicinity  recom- 
mended for  public  bath,  24,  164. 

Ottendorfer,  Oswald,  of  Tenement 
House  Commission  of  1884,  16. 

Otter  Swimming  Club,  London,  48,  49. 

Park,  East  Side,  location  for  bath,  33; 

public,     as    location    for    baths 

mandatory,  174. 

Parks,  Board  of  Commissioners  of 
Public,  requested  to  confer  w^ith 
Mayor's  Committee,  177. 

Parks,    city,    area    in    acres,    146; 

small,  favored  by  the  Committee  of 

Seventy,    21; urgently    needed    in 

Fifteenth  Assembly  District,  20. 

Parks,  Commissioners  of  Public,  and 
structures  for  public  comfort,  32. 

Parks,  Department  of  Public  and  site 

for  bath,    33; and   structures    for 

public  comfort,  32; erects  urinals 

in  city  parks,  144; plans  of  com- 
fort   stations    referred    to,     179; 

President  of,  33; provision  of  pub- 
lic conveniences,  145. 

Paton,  John,  President  Association 
for  Improving  the  Condition  of  the 
Poor,    36. 

People's  Bathing  and  Washing  Asso- 
ciation, 26. 

People's  Baths,  5,  22,  23,  37,  54,  165; 


INDEX. 


Vll 


model  for  YonkfsrH,  01; numbor  of 

butliers,  3it; r.'cclpt.s  juid  cxpunHeM, 

39. 

PcrmlHHive  act  t(j  cHtiibllsh  fii'i-  pub- 
lic batliH,  30. 

PersoiHi,  S(!boijl  J^lroclor,  of  (Jotlln- 
gen,  67. 

Phlliidciipbla,  bath  hou.scH,  52; planH 

for  public  bath,  65; Public  Baths 

AHHoclallon  of,  (JO. 

Plngri'(>,  Miss,  on  Uo.stoti  I'ath  Com- 
mittco,  i;:j. 

Plans  and   studies   approved   by   city 

authorities,  6; drawings  and  pho- 

tOKraphs,  193; for  public  baths,  31. 

Platform  of  Committee  of  Seventy,  21. 

Police  Department  and  lack  of  public 
conveniences,  148. 

Policemen  affected  by  lack  of  public 
conveniences,  148. 

Portsmouth  Swimming  Club,  50. 

Posen,  Germany,  public  conveniences, 
161; school  baths  at,  58. 

Preliminary  Report  Sub-Committee 
on  Baths  and  Lavatories,  23. 

President  of  the  Department  of  Chari- 
ties and  Correction,  a  Municipal 
Bathhouse  Commissioner,  30. 

Professional,  definition  of,  48. 

Proposed  bath  on  site  100x50,  accom- 
modation, 165; capacity,  165; de- 
sign, 168; heating  and  ventilating, 

167; laundry,    167; public    lava- 
tory, 166; water  supply,  167. 

Public  bath  defined,  10; laws  sum- 
marized,   29; movement    in    New 

York  gives  impulse  to  other  cities,  9. 

Public  Baths  Association  of  Philadel- 
phia, 65. 

Public  baths,  establishment  of,  fa- 
vored by  Committee  of  Seventy,  22; 

free,     made    mandatory,     31; 

free    or    paid,    10,    11; Imperative 

need  of,  13; municipal.  In  Amer- 
ica,    11; permissive     act,     30; 

plans,  31; provision  made  manda- 
tory, 31; should  be  partly  free,  24; 

sites      for,     24; small     charge 

recommended,     19; urgently     de 

manded  in  Fifteenth  Assembly  Dis- 
trict, 20. 

Public  Charities.  Department  of. 
baths  at,  42. 

Public  comfort  station  in  Tompkins 
Square  proposed  bathhouse,  174. 

Public  comfort  stations,  proposed  un- 
derground,        ISO; underground, 

recommended,  169. 

Public  comfort,  structures  for  the 
promotion  of,  31. 

Public  conveniences,  charge  for,  174; 
proposed,  ITS: provision  of,  in- 
adequate, 147; underground,  150. 


i'ubllc  Hoalth  Act,  London,  161. 

Public  lavatory  In  proponed  bath  on 
HitO  lOOx.V),  IM. 

Public  HchoolH,  biilhH  In,  M. 

Public    WorkH,   CommluHlonor  of,   29; 

and   public   buthH,   31,   35; con- 

fefH  with  Muyor'n  Committee,  168, 
179; In  charge  of  public  conveni- 
ences, 144. 

Public  Works,  Dcpartmont  of,  29; 

to  control  flo.-itlnK  bathH,  28. 

Quincy,  Hon.  Josiah,  Mayor  of  Bol- 
ton, appoints  bath  rommlttfie,  6,  63. 

Rain  baths,  the  principal  bath  main- 
tained by  benevolent  organlzatlonB, 
19. 

Rapid  transit  favored  by  Committee 
of  Seventy,  22. 

Recorder  of  New  York,  a  Municipal 
Bathhouse  Commissioner,  30. 

Recreation,  lack  of.  In  New  York 
City,  43. 

Relchardt.  Anthony,  of  Tenement 
House  Commission  of  1884,  16. 

Rent  per  room  in  Fifteenth  Assembly 
District,  20; statistics  of  Federa- 
tion of  Churches  and  Christian 
Workers,  20. 

Resuscitation  of  drowned  persons,  127; 
lessons  in,  given  to  police,  44. 

Riverside  Association,  baths  of  the, 
41. 

Roberts,  Robert  J.,  physical  director 
Boston  Y.   M.   C.   A..   54. 

Rome,  gifts  of  public  baths  by  citi- 
zens, 6; numerous  baths,  28. 

Roosevelt,  Theodore,  President  Po- 
lice Department,  178; letter  from, 

147. 

Roundsmen  requested  to  report  avail- 
able sites  for  public  comfort  sta- 
tions, 178. 

Rules  and  regulations  for  bathers,  123; 
for  washers,  136. 

Ryan,  Councilman,  on  Boston  Bath 
Committee,  63. 

Saloons  provide  comfort  stations,  177; 

the  only  public  conveniences  now 

provided.    174. 

Schools,  public,  baths  recommended 
in,  23; measures  favored  by  Com- 
mittee of  Seventy,  21. 

Schools  Swimming  Association,  Lon- 
don, 47. 

Second  Assembly  District,  bath  for. 
30. 

Second  Avenue  and  One  Hundred  and 
Tenth  Street,  vicinity  recommended 
for  public  bath,  24,  164. 

Separation    of    State    and    Municipal 


INDEX. 


elections  favored  by  Committee  of 
Seventy,  22. 

Seventeenth  Sti-eet  and  the  East 
River,  location  for  floating  bath, 
29. 

Seventy,  Committee  of,  disbandment, 
24; expresses  appreciation  of  Sub- 
Committee's  study,  24; nominates 

Committee  of  five,  22; genesis  of, 

21; organization   of   Sub-Commit- 
tees, 22; platform  of,  21. 

Shaler,  Alexander,  of  Tenement 
House  Commission  of  1884,  16. 

Shefl3eld,  urinals  and  waiting  rooms, 
expenses  and  receipts,  158. 

Sites  for  public  baths,  24,  164. 

Slums  of  Xew  York  City,  baths  in, 
11. 

Street  cleaners  affected  by  lack  of 
public  conveniences,  148. 

Snyder,  C.  B.  J.,  Superintendent  of 
School  Buildings,  60. 

Southern  Counties  Amateur  Swim- 
ming Association,  47. 

Spray  bath,  cost  of  a,  55; superior- 
ity  of   the,    55; recommended,    23; 

system,  economy  of,  37. 

Stevenson,  Dr.  Sarah  Hackett,  of  Chi- 
cago, 66. 

Stiles,  Commissioner  of  Park  De- 
partment, criticizes  plans  of  comfort 
stations,  179. 

St.  John's  Guild,  baths  on  the  Float- 
ing Hospital,  42. 

Strassburg  conveniences,  161. 

Street  cleaning,  thorough  system  of, 
favored  by  Committee  of  Seventy, 
22. 

Strong,   Hon.   William  L.,   Mayor   of 

New     York,    7,     179; and    public 

baths,      168; appoints      Advisory 

Committee     on     baths,     5; letter 

from,  25. 

Stuttgart,  Germany,  public  conveni- 
ences, 161; school  baths  at,  59; 

swimming  baths  at,  64. 

Sub-Committee  of  Committee  of 
Seventy,  preliminary  report  on 
baths  and  lavatories,  5,  23; recom- 
mendations, 23; studies  placed  be- 
fore the  Mayor,  24. 

Sub-Committees  of  Committee  of 
Seventy  organized,  22. 

Swimming  as  part  of  school  curricu- 
lum, 53; as  recreation,  43; bath, 

comparatively  recent  institution,  45; 

bath,  great  popularity  of,  45; 

baths,    120; baths,     recommended 

by   Tenement   House  Committee   of 

1894,  19; clubs,  47; competitions, 

49; instruction  in,  46. 

Switzerland,  cost  of  public  school 
baths,  58. 


Teachers  encouraged  to  learn  swim- 
ming, 47. 

Temperature  as  affecting  receipts  at 

baths,  103; in  Hamburg  baths,  114  j 

of  douche  baths,  116. 

Tenement  House  Commission  of  18S4, 
appointment  of,  16; recommenda- 
tion as  to  public  baths,  16; work 

reviewed  by  Tenement  House  Com- 
mittee of  1894,  18. 

Tenement  House  Committee  of  1894, 
appointment  of,  17; definite  opin- 
ion on  public  baths  and  lavatories, 

19; recommends  municipal  baths, 

18; report  presented  to  Legisla- 
ture, 17. 

Tenement  house  population,  baths  in- 
tended for,  174. 

Tolman,  William  Howe,  7; Secre- 
tary Mayor's  Committee  on  Baths 
and  Comfort  Stations,  25,  164; Sec- 
retary of  Sub-Committee  on  Baths 
and  Lavatories,  22. 

Tompkins  Square,  lavatory  accommo- 
dation in  proposed  bath,  180; plans 

for  baths  in,  6; proposed  bath,  ac- 
commodation, 170; proposed  bath, 

design,  172; proposed  bath,  heat- 
ing and  ventilating,  172; proposed 

bath,    laundry    in,    174; proposed 

bath,    objections    to,    173; 'public 

comfort  station   in  proposed   bath, 

174; site  for  bath,  24,  33,  164,  169. 

Trenton,  N.  J.,  action  on  public  bath 
question,  67; Bath  Committee  ap- 
pointed, 6. 
Turkish  bath,  120,  121. 

Underground  conveniences,  advan- 
tage of,  176; public  comfort  sta- 
tions    recommended,     169; public 

conveniences,  150. 

Urinals    for    each    policeman's    post, 

178; proposed,  178; proposed,  for 

city  properties,  176; public,  a  ne- 
cessity, 142. 

"Vienna,   conveniences  as  model,   161; 

spray  bath  system,  37; urinals 

and  conveniences,  162. 

Washers,   average  time  worked,   135; 

caution    money    demanded,    135, 

136; number      of,      141; tickets, 

141. 

Washhouses,  public,  recommended 
for  tenement  house  district,  24. 

Washington  and  Carlisle  Streets,  vi- 
cinity recommended  for  public  bath, 
24,  164. 

Water  boiled  before  using  for  baths, 
116; cost  of,  in  Moabit  baths,  Ber- 
lin, 107; polo,  49; supply  in  bath. 


INDEX. 


Ix 


proposed  method  of  control,  167; 

supply,   In  r>iil>llc  bathH,   172; Hiip- 

ply  In    tononu'Tit   houHOH,    17. 

Wayfarcr.s'  Lo(1k<Ji  bathH  at  the,  42. 

Wellington,  Dr.  Qortrudo  Gall,  of 
Chicago,  6C. 

WllHon,  Hon.  CharleH  O.,  President  of 
the  Health  Department,  confers 
with  Mayor's  (Committee,  177; re- 
port on  baths  In  lodging  houses,  13; 
requests  plans  for  baths,  103. 

Wlngate,  Charles  F.,  of  Tenement 
House  Commission  of  1884,  16. 


Wolff.  John  ijiivid,  on  18«6  Committee 
of  Sanitary  Inquiry,  142. 

Woods,  R.  O.,  on  HoKton  Bath  Com- 
mitter, 63. 

Worthing.    Turkish    bath.    121. 

Wright,  Carroll  D.,  Commluiiloncr  of 
Labor,  report  on  slumn,  11. 

Yard,  Hon.  Emory  N.,  Mayor  of  Tren- 
ton,  appoints  bath  committee,  6. 

Yonkers  ahead  of  New  York  City  In 

public  baths,  2<); municipal  baths, 

61. 


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